Speak
by Earth Gods Lyric
Summary: Linebeck V is the current owner of his deceased grandfather's trading post. In an attempt to find workers, he heads to the Western Segment of Neo Hyrule. There he meets a young boy with a haunting past. Contains many OCs. Chapter 11 is up!
1. Silence Broken

The name's Linebeck; or if you want to be more precise, Linebeck the Fifth. I own a trading post created by my grandfather. At first, it was a small thing, rarely visited except by train conductors and fellow treasure hunters. After a long while though, its popularity grew until it became a place to gather by many. The trading post is not only a trading post now, but also a general store. Gramps would be proud.

The store has gotten quite big. I've sent out help wanted ads, but nobody came for hire. As a last resort for workers, I've bought a ticket for the more under-developed section of Neo Hyrule, a place where horrid crimes happen daily. Why? Because that's where I'll find the hardest workers. Once I find them, I'll give them the address of the store, and I'll have a good employment in no time!

* * *

I arrive at the train station, already filled with countless people waiting to begin the afternoon. As I stand by the entrance, waiting for my train number to be called, a familiar voice calls to me.

""Ey, Linebeck! What'cha doing all 'ta way ou' here?" Ah, Starn. Now there's a fellow with a way of life! He sails all the way around the world, delivering parcels and gathering new products for stores back home. His heavy accent is something that takes quite a while to get used to, but he's a good man with even better stories to be told.

"I'm heading to the Western Segment to look for workers. You?" I reply, walking over to the large fellow. We've been friends for many years, ever since the day he came over to deliver new fruit from another country. I was just a lad, and so was he. He came by regularly, and I took that time to get to know him until our friendship bloomed. He's been with me through it all; from the death of my father to the birth of my sister, Rae. Rae is a fine woman, just ten years or so younger than me. She has brown locks that fall to the middle of her back, and knows how to spar very well. I do wonder where she's off to now.

"''Ta Western Segment? Do 'ya know what happens t'ere?" He exclaims.

"I do. That's where I'm going to find the best workers. I plan to post ads there."

"'Ow old?"

I pause for a moment, not recently giving this question a thought before. An older man would do great work, but he'd beg and beg for more money over time. A child would do less work, but wouldn't have any troubles with money. A predicament that I wish would just solve itself.

"I don't know, Starn. A child would be the most proficient, not begging for anything like older men. Of course, then he would have to be an older child. Perhaps thirteen or so."

"Ah. Well 'ya better git goin', eh? See 'ya 'round." He goes over to another waiting spot, talking with some other men, most likely business talk. Soon my train number is called, and I rush towards the correct station.

"Number fifteen! Train number fifteen ready for boarding!" The announcer says as a group of people follow me to the train. We stand in a line, waiting for one of the personnel to check our tickets. He gets to me, punches my ticket and I head inside to sit in the second car. It seems my seat is already taken when I finally find my designated spot.

"Excuse me, ma'am? I do believe that is my seat." She looks up at me, realizes her mistake, and blushes hard.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. I must have read my ticket wrong. Sorry to trouble you!" She quickly stands and gives me a tiny bow. This woman seems to be young, perhaps seventeen. Her fiery locks catch me by surprise, and her blushing just accents it even more. This young one must have many boys knocking at her doorstep!

"It's all right, ma'am, just a simple mistake. Good day to you." I bow too, and she streaks out of the area. I sit in the seat and wait for the train to start. I would've brought something to read, but I'm not going to take any chances in the Western Segment with valuables. Instead I merely wait as the train stirs to life and chugs down the tracks, thoughts bubbling every second. _Where should I look for workers? Hm… I think maybe the metal works area should prove to be a good spot. How old should they be? Right, somewhere around the teenage group... Boys, obviously. There's still something I need to settle…_

In the middle of my thoughts, the train slows to a stop as passengers gather their things to get off. Not having anything to gather myself, I saunter about the cars until I find the exit. Walking out, I find myself in the place I needed to be; the Western Segment. Why this place turned into the crime littered area it is today, I will never know. The streets are covered in gunk, and the entire length of the place is rampant with yelling fellows. I make my way to the metal works area when I see a strange building jutting out in the alley-way. Curious, I tip-toe inside the building and then I am greeted by a beady-eyed man sitting at a counter.

"Hello. I see you've noticed our establishment _so_ far back in the alley. You just had to come inside and see, right?" This man must be physic.

"Well, yes. I've come to ask if you have any men, preferably boys, who are willing to work at a trading post."

The beady-eyed man cocks his head as he leans over the counter. "Trading post? You aren't that Linebeck fellow, are you?"

"I am."

He stands and goes through the little door-like gate and glides over to me. "Well, have a look around. I'm sure you'll find some _very _nice boys that fit what you need!" He laughs a laugh that sends a chill up my spine. The way he said those words made me wonder just what kind of place this is. Without time to think, he pulls me through the red room of the entry way and down some metal stairs to a very dark, cave-like area dimly illuminated by lonely ceiling lamps and torches on the walls. This place is like a dungeon, and I don't like it. What on Earth are young men doing down here?

"Sorry for the darkness here. We need it to do our work."

I turn to him and ask, "What do the men do down here?"

"Some work by loading up carts and shipping them for the trains to carry. Others make such carts. We also have other jobs down here, but I don't think you're very much interested in those."

"I might be."

"Heh heh. Let's just say that these boys can do a very good job. How old do they or does he need to be?

His speech confused me. Not just the wording, but how I never got any answers, just more questions. I'm starting to think that this place is more than a simple cart factory.

"Somewhere around the ages of thirteen and fourteen," I answer blandly.

"There's only one boy here who's that age. Is that all right?"

"Yes, it's fine." I guess I can just use one helper. The shop isn't that big, anyway.

"Good. Let me fetch him." He scurried away into the dark, and a loud voice echoed throughput the basement.

"Thirty-five, report to the front! I repeat, thirty-five, to the front!"

What is going on here? First he avoids telling me a second purpose of this place, and now everyone has a number, not a name. I feel that I should just up and run away, never returning again. To forget everything I've seen here though would be a crime on my part. Then two figures appeared from the shadows: the same beady-eyed man, and a young boy. The young boy was just covered in grime from his head to his toes. His outfit consisted of an old and browned dark-green V-neck long-sleeve shirt, ratty worker's jeans, and brown leather boots that were over the pants. His hair seemed to be blond, but now it was tangled and blackened. He was a mess, yet his eyes shone through the dark like a beacon. Those eyes told me things; things about hardships that a child should never have to go through. I've decided. I was going to get this boy out of here, no matter the cost. Literally.

The boy never looked up from the ground; as if he didn't want lose sight of it. The beady-eyed man gripped his shoulder hard and asked me, "How much are you going to pay? He's a fine one, so he will come at a fine price."

I instantly tore my wallet from my coat pocket, and replied, "Two-thousand."

The beady-eyed fellow locked eyes with me, as if he knew I had more money to spare.

"Two-thousand and five-hundred." So this is a haggling game, eh? I'll join in.

"Two-thousand and two-hundred."

"Hmph. Listen, if you give me Two-thousand and three-hundred, we have a deal."

"Fine. Here." _Did I just purchase a human being?_ I hand him my money and he shoves the boy into me. It seems that he actually wanted to get rid of him, judging by his actions. "By the way, he's pretty much mute. He doesn't like to talk, and rarely does, so there's no use in trying to start up a conversation. But why bother, anyway? He follows orders well, and does anything he's told." He backs away to the darkness again, giving a money-hungry grin. "If you want to see any of the other boys here, you know where to look. Have a good time now." Another chill shoots up my spine. I do have a worker now, but the way he just stares at me is giving second thoughts. Where will he go now? How long has he been here? Why did I even come here? Did some divine force beckon me to find this child and guide him out of this… whatever it is?

Breaking my thoughts, the boy tugs at my jet-black trench coat, possibly urging we should get out of this establishment. Before we leave, I figure that I should introduce myself. I kneel down to his height and rest my hands on my knees.

"Well, this isn't the greatest introduction, but I'm Linebeck the Fifth, the current owner of my family's trading post."

The boy didn't move, but instead he just continued to stare at me.

"I came here to look for someone to work at my store, and instead stumbled across the building we're in now. I was going to leave once I saw the inside of this place and go look somewhere else, until…"

The boy still didn't move, but I think he got what I was trying to say. I stand and motion towards the stairs. I feel as though we are being watched, and I bet we are. He nods and follows me silently up the stairs. Suddenly a booming voice echoes throughout the building.

"What are you doing? You can't take my property home with you! Get back here!"

The boy runs in front of me as we ascend the stairwell, the voice getting harder to hear as we race to the outside world. I open the door and find myself in the alley again. He shields his eyes from the light as if it blinded him. "Thank goodness we got out of there! What in the world is going on down there?" I say, and then glance down at the boy as he covers his eyes. How long has it been since he's seen the outside world?

"Too bright? It's okay. I bought a round-trip ticket for myself, but I still need to buy one for you to get ourselves home. We better hurry to the station if we want to board on time!" I chuckle to myself, but the boy still doesn't do anything but keep that blank face. We begin walking, not saying a word. The beady-eyed man was right; the boy isn't one to care for a conversation. The regular chatter of birds and people keep us company as we head towards the station.

It seems we've arrived on time, as people are still lining up to purchase tickets. Making sure the boy was still next to me, I went into a line. The boy gripped my right arm, probably to make sure he didn't get lost or separated. I glanced down and smiled warmly, but the boy thought it meant something else. His face adopted terror and he started to shake.

"What's wrong? There's no need to be scared," I whisper, and he calms down a bit. I'll be sure not to smile in front of him for a while. I purchase his ticket and approve my own. We head to the train from before and go inside, it being mostly empty. The boy sits in opposite of me, clutching the seat tightly. He looks out the window a few times and watches the people go by.

"Is this your first time on a train?" I say, trying to maybe get some information out of him. He shakes his head, signifying a solid no. "Well then."

The ride isn't that long, just two hours or so. The boy still finds the time to fall asleep and lies down on the long seat. I would've sat him up so he wouldn't damage the seat, but for some reason I felt I shouldn't do so. I let him rest peacefully, the tip of his thumb in his lips. If he didn't look like a drowned rat right now, I'd say that this was fairly sweet. I smiled at him again, and waited out the rest of the trip looking out the window.

* * *

We arrive at the station that was near the store. I stand and gently rouse the boy from his slumber.

"We're here. You need to wake up now," I say as he opens his eyes. He looks around, as if trying to locate something, and then gets up from the seat. He follows me out of the train and down to the ground, still never changing his expression. _Something is definitely wrong with this boy, and I need to find out what exactly it is._

"It's just a short walk from here to the store. C'mon now," I say to him. He obediently follows me as we make our way to the shop. I'm going to have to get used to the boy's way of "conversing." Then I realize that I need something to call him by. Thirty-five will never do! Then I think of my sister's dream-friend. Ever since she was young, she always told me of an imaginary boy that she would talk to. Of course she abandoned the thing a long time ago, but the name still stuck with us.

"…I need something to call you. I can't keep calling you boy for the rest of your time here!"

He just looks up at me and holds up his hands, holding up three fingers in his one hand and five in the other.

"No, I will not refer to you as a number. Would you like me to give you a better name than that?"

He cocked his head a little in confusion, but then he gave out a tiny smile that was easy to over-look.

"Good. How do you like the name Kael? I think it suits you very well."

He only nodded.

We finally arrive at the shop and step inside. The first time I ever hear his voice is through a gasp of bewilderment. He poked around the place, from the store, to the trading counter, and to the small living space in the back. It seems that he's never been inside a real house before, either.

"I'm guessing that you like the place already."

Kael turns to look at me, a smile in place of his blank stare.

"You're going to be living and working here for a while, so I'm glad that you like it." I drift over to where he was standing, gazing at the many tiny treasures on the shelves behind the counter. "Now, don't think me rude or strange, but you need to get yourself cleaned up. The shower is in the back, a door leads to it in the bedroom. You'll find towels in there as well."

Kael furrowed his brow.

"Do you know how to use one?"

He shakes his head in response.

"All right then, get in there and I'll teach you."

Again, my words caused him to remember something bad and he began shaking again. He quickly gets himself into a ball on the floor, and I kneel down beside him.

"Are you okay, Kael?"

He started to whimper, and I put an arm around him.

"There's nothing to be scared of. You're not in that place anymore, you're safe."

He blinks as tears form, some falling on his face. He pushes himself into me, and I hold him as he shakes. This child has had something done to him in the past that is making him do this. I will find out what, even if that means making him speak.

His shaking bout over, he pulls away from me, rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

"There there," I say, patting him on the back. He stands and without looking at me, he goes into the bedroom. I follow him and open the door to the bathroom. It had a simple shower, washbasin and chamber pot, and that was it. He went in and stood in front of the shower, pointing to it.

"Yes, that's it," I say as I go in, pointing to certain levers, "This one is to make the water hotter, and this one cooler. You turn both towards the middle to turn it off, while you only turn the red one to make it start. Got it?"

As always, he nods. I don't know if he actually gets it, though. I lay out a towel for him and turn to exit.

"Remember to use the soap –the little bar in there- and wrap yourself in the towel before you come out. I will have clothes laying out for you in the bedroom." I leave the room, close the door, and stand in the bedroom to see if Kael knows what he is doing. A few seconds later, I hear the water going and a quick gasp. I knock on the door and ask, "Are you all right in there?"

No answer. I would go in there myself, but after the events of today, I think twice about that idea. I get to work, getting clothes on the bed. I don't have any smallish clothing, but I believe that one of my white button-down shirts and a pair of pants would work. I don't want him wearing those old clothes I found him in anymore. My ensemble isn't the greatest either: a black trench-coat over a long-sleeve white button-down shirt, dark blue pants and leather boots. A trench-coat is a regular thing in our family.

I hear the knobs squeak as the water turns off. I hurry out of the bedroom before Kael sees me in there, closing the door behind me so he can dress.

* * *

Later, he comes out of the bedroom looking clean as a whistle in clothes a little too big for him. I can finally see his hair, a bright blond that bounces slightly as he walks. With his outfit now, he seems to be a much shorter twin, except for the coat. Kael notices this too and lets out a tiny giggle. I'm glad that he still knows how to laugh.

I take a better look, and notice something strange. Kael looks oddly familiar to the boy that Gramps used to talk about. This boy was a train conductor as well as a knight. He would come to the trading post most many a time to get train parts as well as just to talk. They became good friends. Sadly, he died young, doing the thing he liked most. The boy's train derailed and flipped over, killing him instantly. He was only sixteen years old. When Gramps was around, he would show me pictographs of the boy and sometimes them together. The boy wore a dark-green tunic over a green under-shirt, a long green hat, leggings, and leather boots. That was the style for the Hylian knights. Gramps told me his name only once, but I remembered it somehow. It was a strange name, only given to young heroes. Of course, that was the legend. His name was Link.

"It is funny, eh? Anyway, I'm sorry for the size of the clothes. It's all I have. I'll be sure to buy you something better soon."

I'll be a little low on money for a bit, since today is a Saturday. Weekends are breaks for me, so the store won't be open until Monday. I might as well show him how this place works.

"Speaking of clothes, I need to teach you how to work certain parts of the shop," I say as I'm looking at the clock. "…On second thought, I'll show you tomorrow. It's getting late. You can sleep in those clothes tonight. You can either sleep on the couch or in the bed."

Kael turned and noiselessly headed towards the couch and laid down on it. The beady-eyed man was right again, he was very obedient. I walked into the bedroom and removed a blanket or two and a pillow for Kael and walked back out. I handed him his things and he put the pillow down on the couch. I began to go back to the bedroom, telling Kael to have a good night. Behind me, I could hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

"Kael, what are you doing?" I question in a somewhat annoyed tone. He simply looks up at me, then goes to the bedroom with the things I gave him before.

"Fine, you can sleep in the bed with me for tonight." At these words, he immediately stopped and turned to stare at me again. Thank goodness he did not shake.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Do you?" He simply nodded again and climbed into the bed, placing his pillow down and his blanket over himself. He burrowed into it to the point where I could only see the top of his head. I have to admit, he's quite a strange one. Maybe I can get some information out of him tonight…

"Kael?" I say with a shaky voice.

He whips his head around to look at me.

"I know that you don't like to talk, but I really feel that I need to know just what is going on with you, and where exactly you came from."

Just as I expected, he shook his head violently, a strong "no". I sigh as I get into the bed, with Kael watching me intensively. He tends to watch everything I do now. I pull up the blankets to my lower chest and wish Kael a good-night again as I turn off the lantern on the nightstand.

I lay there, knowing that Kael is not asleep just yet. Instead, he keeps his head towards mine, as if waiting for something to happen. His eyes still shone like they did earlier today. I hope that someday he will open up to me and talk. I really need to know just what is going on in his mind.

He shifts sides and now his back faces me. I let myself fall into the warmth of sleep.

* * *

Morning arrives and I am the first to wake. Kael was bunched up in the blankets. I got up from the bed and watched his bundle of blankets rise and fall as he breathed in and out. I quietly went over to the dresser and pulled out fresh clothes, then took them into the bathroom to change. I locked the door, just in case.

After dressing, I come out and see that the bed is made, all neat and tidy. Kael didn't have to do this, but it was nice of him to do so. I find him sitting on the couch, doing nothing except playing with one of the buttons on his shirt.

"Good morning, Kael," I greet him. "Did you sleep well?" As expected, I got a quick nod from him as he jumped from the seat and came over to me. He looked like he expected an evaluation from me or something.

"What is it?" I ask him. His bottom lip trembles, as if he was about to cry out.

"Th… th… th-thank y-you," Kael forces out, his eyes wide at the feeling of speech. His voice was scratchy and hoarse, most likely due to the fact that he hasn't spoken in a long time.

Did he just speak? I think that he knows that I'm a safe person that won't hurt him in any way like his "owner" must have.

I smile and say, "You're welcome."


	2. Secrets and Teachings

The morning begins with the regular sounds of pots and pans clanging, and the added sound of one-sided conversations; the smell of the ham and eggs wafting throughout the building as we cook and prepare breakfast.

Surprisingly, Kael knows a little about cooking, but that doesn't stop him from accidentally rubbing up against a hot pan. He sucks in air sharply through his clenched teeth, wincing from the burn on his elbow. It darkened the shirt and left a welt in the form of a line. I ask him if he wanted something to cool down the burn, but he simply shakes his head and speaks for the second time, his tone depressed.

"I've had worse."

Careful not to poke too hard into his personal matters, I ask, "Like what, worse burns?"

He holds up his arm and rubs the welt through his shirt. "No."

And that was it. He kept silent and didn't say any more. I won't make him say more than he needs to. I return to cooking, the air around us still and charged with un-said questions without answers. Perhaps after breakfast I will get to teaching him about the store, and then get some suitable clothing for him. Ha, I sound like a parent listing his child's needs! Of course, that's what I think myself to be now, at least until I can find Kael a good home that's not near where I found him. Speaking of parents, where are his parents? I presume them to be either dead, or just out there somewhere looking –or maybe not looking- for him. The thing is, I can't think of a parent who would just leave their child to suffer, or worse.

* * *

After breakfast, we wash the dishes and set them to dry on the rack.

"Well Kael, I think it's time for you to learn how the store works," I say, inviting him to the counter. He follows and watches as I point to different things such as the treasures in the back and the register. I let Kael come with me to the back of the counter.

"And this is where I do my portion of the work; taking the money and sorting it. Of course, this is just part of my job. Let me show you what you need to do for your part." Kael nods, and I lead him to the backroom, a basic storage closet. I bend down and open a few boxes, showing him the contents inside.

"These are just simple things for the general store; pots, pans, and dishes," I say, drifting over to a few more boxes. "And these are more… miscellaneous things. Things such as dried fruits, sugar, and other food items." Kael shoves his hand into one box and pulls out a small animal plush. He mouths "oohs" and "ahhs", holding it up in front of him. A boy his age shouldn't be acting like this over a child's play-thing, but who am I to judge?

"…You can keep it, if you want to. On the house," I say. He glances over at me from the other side of the room, a strange sparkle in his eye.

"Really?"

"Yes."

He hugs onto the thing for dear life, as if it was a friend he wouldn't see again for a long time. His actions are those of a child, not one of a growing teen. Innocence such as this is something to be wary of, for many reasons. Still, I do enjoy his attitude and outlook on things.

I stand from my position next to the box and open the door that leads to the store area of the building, a smaller box in hand. Kael notices, puts the plush down, and follows me. The store is very… old fashioned, to say the least. Squeaky floor-boards and worn carpets, it does have a truly homelike air about it. The shelves hold jars of dried fruit, boxes of supplies such as string and cloth, and other things. The windows are large to let the light in and also to let me know of any customers.

Kael pokes around, his curiosity getting the better of him. He sticks his hand inside a barrel and fishes around, pulling out a pair of scissors. He studies them closely, opening and closing them. He tosses them back into the barrel when he was finished and comes up to me, eager for a lesson.

"Well, there isn't much to be explained here, but I'll do my best. For now, the job you get to do is to sort and stack products for me, as well as clean the windows," I say as I go over to the shelves. I reach down into the box and pull out a jar, placing it on the shelf above me. "Like this. Common sense, but sometimes things need a little bit of explaining. You try."

I hand him a jar, and he just stands there, staring at me. Then it hits me; the shelves were too high for him to reach! My eyes dart around the room, looking for a stray chair or something like it. Why I do not own a ladder is a question that, honestly, I cannot answer.

I find something that came in a close second to what I was looking for, a simple stool. I hurry over to it and bring it back over to Kael.

"_Now _try. I know it looks a little… unstable, but I'll spot you. You won't come crashing down if you lose your balance!" Kael nods and eases his way up onto the stool, jar in one hand, and his other hand holding the wall for balance. He slides the jar onto the shelf, and jumps off, a loud _thump _coming from his hard landing. Now he didn't have to jump, but as long as he's all right, I don't care. I do hope the window washing won't be as… _interesting _as the shelf problem. I make my way to the back counter, bend down, and place a bottle of a homemade cleaning solution, a sponge, and a towel.

Kael sees what I put down and pipes up, "I know how to do that."

"Do what, clean windows?" He nods. "That's good then. I'll just leave these things out in case you would like to practice a bit." I begin to wonder about his skill level in mental tasks. If he was decent at math, he could probably sort money for me as well.

"Kael?" He locks eyes with me, just like the beady-eyed man did back then. "If you want, I have another job you can do. Are you any good with numbers?"

He tilts his head and furrows his brow and replies, "Kind of." I hope by 'kind of', he means 'of course I do'. He comes up to the counter where I wait. I find him some paper, a pen, and a jar of ink, and write a simple equation down on the paper. I push the bundle his way and he picks up the pen with -strangely- his right hand. There stops the similarities between Kael and the hero of long ago.

"It's an easy one to start with, ten times twelve. Do you know how to do it?" I ask, a smirk on my face. Let's see how far this can go.

Kael begins writing, the scratches getting slower as he stopped to think. When he finishes, he gives the paper to my outstretched hand. His answer was correct, one-hundred and twenty. He knew how to carry numbers, and that was a good sign.

"Correct. Let's see how you fare with this one!" I say. Kael gives me a determined look, his mind ready for anything.

The adding, subtracting, multiplying, and even dividing continued for several minutes. He could do math, and that meant that I wouldn't have to keep an eye on so many things at once.

"Looks like you got the job. Hmm… all you really need to do here is take the customer's money, give them change, those things. Anyway, I'll be in the backroom. If you want, you can wash the windows for me, all right?" I say, giving him a pat on the head. I come from behind the counter and head to the backroom, Kael's pitter-patter the only sound that accompanies my hard steps on the old floors. I look behind me, and Kael is already at the first window, getting the solution on the towel.

Once in the backroom, I begin sorting things in the closet when I see another small box on a shelf. This box was very special to gramps; it held pictographs of him, his grandfather, and two boys who shared the same name, as well as small objects and trinkets. Ever since the day gramps passed away, I vowed not to look in the box, afraid of what I may see. I didn't want to be reminded of him, especially now that I have company that wouldn't like to see me in a weak position. Still, I wanted to see what was in there after all these years.

I slip my hands around the box and bring it down, careful not to look inside just yet. I sit cross-legged on the floor and rest the box on my legs. Looking in, I see rings, coins with an odd triangular symbol, and most importantly, the pictographs. Bracing myself, I reach in and pull out the first one. It was of a young boy clad in green. He stood in front of a steamship standing next to a man who looked like gramps, but his outfit was slightly different, with three fairies hovering over them. Fairies are hard to come by now. Some say they just got up and left Neo Hyrule altogether. I wonder if Kael believes in them.

The man's arm was slung around the boy's shoulders, a grin on both of their faces. It scares me, how close alike they are to Kael and I. I put the pictograph down and pick up another one, this one of just the boy. In this one, he isn't smiling, but just has the same blankness of a look Kael has. I looked at it a little more and noticed a scar or two on his cheeks. The picture made me feel depressed, like how the boy looked. I set it down and pick up another. I can barely hold my gasp when I see just who was in this one.

It was of a boy and an older man, both who looked very much alike. The boy had dark chocolate brown hair, just like the man he was standing next to. He wore a simple blue shirt with a red scarf around his neck, and had tan pants. He wore sandals that looked worn but comfortable. This boy, I realized, was me as a child! The man who I was standing next to wore a hat and a blue trench-coat, my grandfather.

I quickly place the pictograph back into the box and shove it onto the shelf. I shut the door behind me as I drift over to where Kael stood, looking over his work.

"Finished already?" I say. Kael almost jumps out of his boots at my voice. He whips his head around, shock filling his face. When he quickly looks over just who was standing there, he calms down and sighs.

"…Yes, I'm finished." He replies, his eyes focusing on the now closed door to the back room. "What were you doing in there?"

"Just sorting out things, that's all," I answer, scratching the back of my head. "Anyway, I think now is a good time to go out and get some decent clothing for you. What do you say?"

Kael directs his gaze back to me and replies with a quick nod. He runs past me and into the hall, around the trading post, through the small "house" area, and into the bedroom. I figure he's in there to change. Once he's done, I'll… wait. He doesn't have any clothes in there he can borrow. What am I to do?

I make my way to the bedroom and give two swift knocks on the door.

"Erm, Kael? Can I come in?" I ask.

The door opens slowly, with a still fully-clothed Kael in the entrance. He moves out of the way as I walk towards the dresser.

"Listen. That's my last clean outfit you have on," I admit, searching the dresser for something. "However, you _can _wear this. You still have to wear the pants you have on right now, though." I pull out one of the shelves and show him a top that went to some night-clothes. It was a light mint-green, not exactly my color. It was just like the shirt he had on too, buttons and all. It looked like a simple top for the day, so he could wear it anytime. He takes the shirt from me and begins un-doing his shirt. I was going to move out of the room at that point, until I see something on his chest that looked painful. His entire chest is now revealed, and on it are dozens of scars. Where did he get these from? How? Kael looks up at me, his eyes telling me to leave.

"Kael…" I begin, stepping towards him. "How did you get these?"

Kael swiftly pulls his shirt together to hide his little secret. He inches back on the bed, trying to get away from my questioning.

"Please, tell me. I know that you've been through something that affected you deeply, and I'm pretty sure these scars are a part of it. What did they do to you there?" I lean over and place a hand on his shoulder, most likely covered with hidden scars, too. This raises even more questions about Kael's past. I think back towards what the beady-eyed man said, something about boys doing very fine work. Accompanied with scars, this could only mean that Kael was a slave of some kind. But what kind of slave? My mind reels over to the worst possible idea, but I shove it away. Things like that don't happen in a place like this… right?

Kael brushes my hand off of his shoulder and scurries farther back. He whimpers, but doesn't shake. He opens his mouth to scream.

"Don't! Don't touch me, please! Just leave me alone!" Hot tears stream down his face, a memory most likely clouding his thoughts. I straighten out and only stand there, watching his frame quiver. I have no idea what is going on, or what to do. Do I leave him here to regain himself, or try to comfort him? Either way, he's going to break down.

He calms down a bit, slowly bringing his head up. "The scars mean nothing. Nothing happened to me, nothing you should worry about. Please, just let me be."

The biggest lie I've ever heard come out of his mouth, I'm sure. I turn my back on him and leave the room, answering his wishes. Kael couldn't have been something like that, a slave! I've never heard of anything like that in Neo Hyrule, or am I just that sheltered from the words of the workings of the underground?

I find a spot on the couch and sit down. I can hear sniffling from the other room.

* * *

After what seems like hours, Kael trudges out of the bedroom and sits next to me. Knowing what happened the last time I tried to comfort him, I merely sit there looking straight ahead, like him. His face is wet, his breath shaky and unbalanced.

We sit there, the flow of time keeping still. I listen to him breathe, the only thing he can manage at this point. I don't know if we should go anywhere today, unless he wants to.

Kael slowly turns his head towards me, his mouth open with no words falling out. After a time, he urges out, "Are we going, Linebeck?"

That was the first time he's ever said my name, and it had to be said at a time like this. His words sounded slurred and choked, like the first time he spoke. I give him a slow and slightly unsure nod as I stand. He follows and rises up from his seat. My wallet already in my pocket, we head out into the autumn-chilled afternoon, flocks of birds overhead in tiny V's.

We arrive at the train station at a quarter past twelve. Reading the train schedules, I decide to take train four, leaving in twenty minutes. The place is packed with all types of people, from the springy to the scrawny, to the fit and to the lame, all going to different destinations. The shopping district is located in the Center Square, also home to many businesses, as well as the castle that houses the young princess and prince. The royal children's father passed away years ago, leaving them to be taken care of by their mother. The girls in the family have shared the same name for ages, the bloodline being carried over vast distances. Some say that the land that the royal family came from was now currently underwater due to a king's final plea. I don't believe it, but some still do. The princess, her name always the same, is fair and kind, but can state her feelings as true facts; a feisty spirit rests in the young Zelda.

As for her brother, he is loving of his sister but is more forceful and blunt. His name is Luca, but everyone I know tends to call him Luke, a name I think better suites him. The two polar opposites still manage to get along, perhaps a lesson to us. My family has a close relationship with the royal family, but I never do see them. I guess I just never have the need to.

Together, we make our way towards the ticket window, pushing past a few people. There's more commotion today than yesterday, with everyone gathering in one area. After purchasing the tickets, I watch people take out their pictoboxes and crowd around wildly. Is there someone important in town? Or maybe…

Kael tugs on my coat and points to a pair of siblings, one a girl and the other a boy. Both of them have lively brown hair; the girl's accented by a floral clip. She wore a long and flowing blue dress with a part in the center that was filled with a long white skirt. Her brother wore blue as well, a regal tunic with a black belt around his waist, as well as black leather boots. The royal children. They were the first in the royal family to have brown hair for a long time, their father having the hair that dominated the light blonde of their mother. It was also a first in a long time for the family to have more than one child, twins even. The only thing that stayed the same all the years was their brilliant azure eyes, something that both parents had. They looked to be around Kael's age, perhaps a bit older. Around them were knights covered in green, the uniform of old not changing a bit.

The knights push the masses away as we try to get closer.

"Luca, does that man look familiar to you?" The princess says, pointing at… me?

"Who? The man with the black coat and child at his side?"

"Yes! Doesn't he look like the man from the pictographs? The one with grandma's friend," She says, putting her index finger on her cheek in thought.

"A little. I don't think he has any relation to him, though. "

She turns towards her brother and pauses for a moment. "Should we go ask? It would be terribly rude if we did…"

Her brother grins and replies, "There's no reason not to. Let's try."

The two ask the knights guarding them to guide them over to presumably me. They begin to march through the crowd as it separates, with Kael and I in the center of their path. They stop in front of us, my prediction proven correct. Kael stood at my side, eyeing the twins as if they were fine jewelry in a glass case. We bow as the princess starts to speak.

"Hello, sirs," she begins, "I have a question for one of you, and I hope not to seem rude to ask it."

"It would not be rude, your highness. Ask me anything you need to," I reply. She giggles and turns to her brother for a moment before coming back to me.

"Thank-you. We were wondering if you had any relation to man named Linebeck the Third. If you do not, please apologize our intrusion."

"Ah, I do. He was my late grandfather. I am the current owner of the trading post he created."

"I was right, brother! He _is _part of the Linebeck family!" She exclaims, the knights rolling their eyes at her sudden outburst. I merely smile.

"You were right, sister. You've asked your question, so we must leave now."

She gives him a sour look but quickly smiles at me and replies, "Thank-you, sir. You and your son are welcome to chat with us at the castle anytime. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, your highness."

They turn and are directed back by the knights as the crowd closes in, amazed. How funny, she thinks Kael is my son! I'll have to tell her the truth when I get the chance to.

"So, what do you think about the twins?" I ask Kael.

He merely shrugs his shoulders.

"I see. Well-"

Just then I'm interrupted by the announcer, who calls out train number four, our train. Kael and I hurry to the line, tickets ready. The line isn't really packed, so it only takes a few minutes to get checked and boarded. Today has been a strange one, being bombarded with everything. I think that this is only the start.

Just then, I hear a sound that can only be someone's stomach rumbling, and it isn't mine.

"Don't worry Kael, we'll get something to eat later," I say as we walk together to car five.

He looks up at me, not a single defining expression on his face. "I'm not hungry."

"Of course you are, I heard your stomach!" I chuckle, but then stop after the awkward silence.

We find our seats and sit, this time next to each other. Apparently there is another passenger sitting in front of us. Who this could be, I don't know.

The train starts and chugs along on the tracks, those on it bobbing a little. Kael, who got the window seat, stares out of the window, watching the trees and the land go by. I'm guessing he likes the country-side. I look out too, the only thing we can do right now. Kael isn't one to start up a conversation.

"Well I'll be! If it ain't Linebeck! 'Ow've ya been?"

I jerk my head around to see just who is speaking to me.

"Ah, hello there, Starn! I've been doing well. Sit, sit!" I greet him, Kael giving Starn the same look he gave me when we first met: blank.

The big fellow sits in front of us on the other seat, acknowledging Kael's presence.

"And 'tis must be 'yer worker! What's 'is name?"

I glance at Kael as I speak. "…He didn't really have a name when we first met. Where he came from, everyone was a number for reasons unknown to me."

He's taken aback pretty far. I have much explaining to do in a little amount of time.

"What? 'Tat ain't right, not right at all! Where'd 'e come from? Did 'ya give 'em a name?"

Kael shifts a little in his seat. He doesn't seem to like the conversation very much. I'm sorry, but I have to tell Starn everything. I can't leave my friend out in the cold like this.

"Well, yes," I begin, "I named him Kael. Of course, who knows? He might have a real name besides that number."

"Ah."

He turns to Kael, who is currently staring out the window, his breath fogging it up. His elbow rests on the edge of the wall, face cupped in his hand.

"So… Kael is it? Is Linebeck 'ere give'n 'ya any trouble?" He chuckles. Kael doesn't move and continues to stare out the window. I don't think he likes Starn all too well. An awkward silence fills the air, and Starn lets his eyes wander about the place.

I finally open my mouth and say, "Kael doesn't talk too much. He doesn't like to discuss anything about his past, either. It's a secret only meant for him as of now, Starn."

Secretly, I wish that Starn wasn't here right now. I know that sounds terrible, but Kael is already wound up as it is. I don't want him to jab at his life experiences, but he will. Human nature at work. But I really do enjoy his company. He's my friend, and I will treat him that way.

Starn purses his lips in thought. "Well 'den. Is 'e like'n 'ta place so far? Did 'ya give 'em any work?"

Well, at least he isn't trying to get anything out directly.

"Yes, he likes it. He was really impressed with the store. I gave him some work, like cleaning, manning the register, sorting things, etcetera."

"Good. 'Ey, did 'ya 'ear 'bout 'ta royal children? 'Dey were 'ere today at 'ta station talk'n to somebody!" His eyes light up with sudden excitement. Oh, I can see his face now after I tell him who they were talking to!

"That somebody, Starn, was me. They were asking if I was related to The Hero's friend."

His eyes widen even further. "Wow, Linebeck! 'Tat's amazing!"

I decide to play this off even more. "I can even head to the castle whenever I want to speak to them."

"You are one lucky man, Linebeck! One lucky man!"

* * *

We talk for an hour or so, enjoying our time. Kael however, just sits there listening. He passes the time by drawing shapes on the windows. When he is bored of it, he just cups his head again and sighs. His head starts to bob, and the lightest snoring comes from him.

"I think 'ta kids' asleep," Starn points out.

I look over, and sure enough, he's out. I shift his body from his position to a more comfortable one, sitting with his head against the chair. I think train rides tend to put him out. Maybe it's the motion that puts him at ease?

Starn and I continue with our small talk.

"Well, anyway Starn, how's Millie?" I ask.

Millie is Starn's daughter. Her mother passed away five years ago, when Millie was only three. She doesn't remember much about her, so she wasn't hurt as much as Starn. She looks just like her mother too; raven hair, silky and soft, a round face with rosy cheeks, and a joyful air about her. She hates wearing dresses, and opts out for pants, shorts, and tunics. She's a tomboy, Starn's pride and joy. He's always wanted me to settle down, marry, and have children, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

"Oh, Millie? Lass has grown a lot since 'ya last came 'ta visit. 'Er drawings have been getting better, too," He says with a longing tone. "She's at home with 'ta sitter right now while I shop fer supplies.

"Ah. I'll be sure to bring Kael along next time. I think they might become good friends. Millie needs someone to hang around with, right?"

"That she does."

Kael strikes again, his upper body falling onto my shoulder. As I look at him, I notice he's frowning in his sleep. Is he having a nightmare… er… day… bad dream?

"Ha! 'Ta kids' so tuckered out, 'e can't even sit up!" Starn laughs. "'Ya better move 'em."

"Nah, I don't mind. Train rides tend to do this to him. When I was young, anything that moved put me to sleep. Be it horse, ship, or train," I explain to him. I reposition myself and put an arm around Kael.

A few older men start coming down the hall, and motion for Starn.

"Ah, I gotta go, Linebeck. Business stuff. See 'ya in a bit," He says before getting up and leaving Kael and I alone.

I start to think about Kael and Millie together. They're so far apart in age, but I bet they will get along if Millie wants to meet him. Kael might not be a social butterfly, but Millie can sometimes be wallflower at points too. Perhaps this butterfly I hold can make that flower happy. Being with a sitter and not her father can make a child distant from others.

Not wanting to disturb Kael's sleep, I carefully slide him up and stand. I lay down his body on his side like yesterday, and inch over to the other seat. There I sit to wait out the rest of today's trip, already worn down. I just hope that he doesn't fall asleep every time we happen to travel.

"Sleep tight," I say to him, still frowning in his dreams. What he is dreaming of is something I do wonder, but most likely will never know. All I know now is that his secrets are his to keep, until he wishes to share. For now, I will wait until that day, ready to help him through his troubles.


	3. Out and About

I start to look out of the window again, listening to the chatter of the other people around me. I'm used to being bored, especially on long trips. Since I… no… we live in the outskirts of the Eastern Segment, it'll take a while to get to the Center Square. Speaking of regions, Neo Hyrule is-as you may already know- divided into sections. There are the Segments: North, South, East and West. Then there is the Center Square. Bordering the main sections exists a small farming community called the Romani District. There in Romani are a handful of ranches, mostly owned by the families who live there. Romani has big, green and rich fields and many orchards. Neo Hyrule is surrounded by water, being a large island encircled by tiny ones. In those waters lies the fishing community, which really doesn't have a name, but the sections do. There are three: Zorian, Storna, and Mori. These names seem... random to me, but they're there for a reason, I presume. To tell the truth, I've never been out of the Segments, so I don't have much of a clue of what the other communities look like.

Turning my gaze onto the resting form in front of me, I notice that he's twitching in his sleep. Nothing too serious, just little finger jumps and scrunching eyes. I sigh and lean back on the seat, staring at the ceiling. It won't be long now, just maybe ten minutes. I let my thoughts take over, and start to think about the meaning behind Kael's outburst this morning.

By touching, that could mean a variety of things. I'm not a naïve man, so I have a good idea of what he might have meant by "don't touch me". Then came the scars. Where he got the scars wasn't a mystery, but_ how_ was. Since I only saw them for a few seconds, I couldn't judge how they were made. It's strange how he doesn't have any on his face. Why only scar his body? Oh, now that came out wrong, I know.

And then he tried to convince me that nothing happened, and that the scars were nothing to be wary of. It was as if he wanted to tell me, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Wasn't he taught to never lie to his elders? Oh well, it can't be helped.

A gasp tore me away from my thoughts, causing me to jump a little in my seat. Kael sat up, straight as a pin, and darted his eyes across the room, breathing quickly.

"Are you all right, Kael?" I say to him in a hushed tone. His shock subsides, and he nods quickly.

"Just a really bad dream…" He admits, clenching his right hand with his left. "I don't want to talk about it."

I lean forward. This is my chance. "Really? Are you sure? You know, talking about your dreams can make you feel better. If you don't want to though, I understand." He looks up at me with a scared look on his face.

"No. You don't want to hear about it."

"Ah, but I do. Did you know that the princess has to tell her mother about her dreams every day? Apparently, they are prophetic, meaning that she can see into the future. Dreams are important Kael, no matter who you are."

"I don't care, and neither should you. I don't want to talk about it!" He starts to shake, pointing his head down.

I stand and go over to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I think I should care."

He looks up at me with narrowed greenish-brown eyes. "You think you understand, but you don't. Please, just let it go."

The train comes to a stop, and Kael pulls himself away from me.

"Let's go," He says, standing and not looking in my direction. I stand too, cupping his tiny hand in mine. He doesn't pull away, and we begin walking down the corridors of the train in silence.

We reach the Center Square together, dropping each others hands. I clear my throat, and try to think of something to distract Kael from his thoughts.

"Well, we're here. There are plenty of shops to go through. You pick."

He scans over the area, and extends his finger at the smallest one.

"You sure? All right then, let's go."

Kael is the one to start moving, at my surprise. The shop ahead looks old and a little run down, unlike the big and grandiose ones around it. Again, I will not judge Kael's choice and follow him.

Inside, the place looks... ironically grander than the outside. It has blue walls decked with silver designs, and racks upon racks of clothing, as well as jewelry in glass cases and assorted pots. Why pots, I don't know. Though fairly small, it had what we were looking for.

A young and springy woman dashes up to us, eager to do business.

"Well hello there, sirs! Welcome to Flor Azul! Can I help you?"

"We're just here to look, miss."

"Ah. My name is Lucy, if you were wondering. You know, you look familiar. Have I seen you before?"

I give her a good look over, and by Gods, she happens to be the young miss from the train yesterday! Why is it that I keep meeting people over and over again lately?

"Perhaps. I remember a young lady with fiery locks like yours on a train," I hint.

Her eyes widen as she blushes. "Oh my, now I do remember! Well, it's good to make your acquaintance again." She turns her gaze onto Kael, who is a few paces behind me. "Is this your son? My, he's cute!"

I chuckle a bit as I speak. "No no, he's just my apprentice." Apprentice?

"Oh. Well, he's still a cutie! Anyway, I'll let you look around. I don't mean to keep you from shopping!" She giggles as she steps away from us. I turn to speak with Kael, but he's already gone. I hear squeaks coming from behind me. As I look, there he is, fiddling with the hangers on the racks.

"Ah, there you are. Did you find anything you like?" I ask as I go over to him. He doesn't answer, and keeps going around in circles through the racks. I stand and watch him, his hands going over every piece of clothing, as if to study the cloth itself.

He selects a light-blue, long-sleeved top with white lining around the collar and cuffs, as well as the bottom. Draping it over his arm, he finds another top, this time a forest-green that seemed to be of a thicker material. He comes up to me with his findings, showing them to me.

"I'm pretty sure you're going to need pants too, you know," I say with a laugh, trying to make the situation not as tense and heavy. Kael shrugs his shoulders and goes back to the racks.

It's interesting to watch someone pick out clothing for themselves. You can find out what kind of a person they are through their decisions and how they react to something. Of course, it's kind of hard to decide what kind of a person Kael is. His actions are sudden and impulsive, as what a child's are.

He comes up to me again, this time with two pairs of pants, one for each top. Good enough, I guess. We go up to the glass counter where Lucy waits, and put down the clothing.

"Hm, that's all? Okay then. Did you make sure they're the right size, sirs?"

"They seem to be the right size, miss. I'm sure he checked," I say as I turn to Kael, "Didn't you?"

He nods, and I remove my wallet.

"That'll be seventy Rupees, on the nose!" She chirps, stuffing the clothing into a bag. I hand her payment, and she gives the bag to Kael. "Come again, you two!"

I give her a 'will do', and walk out of the store with Kael by my side, his bag scraping along the road.

"Hey, careful there! The bag is going to rip if you don't hold it up!" I warn Kael, who keeps dragging the bag. What is wrong with him?

"Fine then, I'll take it." He stops and roughly hands me the bag, walking a little faster than before. Something is definitely wrong with him. I speed up to his pace, noticing that he is cupping his stomach. There are two reasons for this, either he's going to be sick, or he's hungry. I really do hope it's the latter. If he is sick, then why? Did he catch something?

"I don't feel right…" He says, cupping his stomach harder. He stops walking and lets out a soft groan.

"Do you feel like you're going to be sick?" I stand in front of him, not exactly the best thing to do when another is feeling sick to the stomach.

"I don't know. It started to ache when we met Lucy." He lets out another groan.

It's a little out there, but maybe he's ill from Lucy's perfume? It was a little strong; a lilac sent drifting throughout the store. Maybe it was strong enough to cause him to ache. However, it could also be hunger pains, who knows. Come to think of it, he hasn't eaten much since I found him, and he doesn't look to be well-fed. He's skinny and a little on the short side. He's not boney looking, but isn't far from it.

"Was it her perfume? Sometimes a fragrance can be strong enough to unsettle a person. Or are you just hungry?"

"I don't know. It did smell funny in there."

"That's it then. You have a very sensitive sense of smell! How about we get ourselves something to eat before heading back? We have some time before we need to go. It might help your stomach."

"Fine then."

We mill around the square until we find a little stand. It seems to sell things like bread and fruit, as well as different types of sweets. It seems Kael is okay with the choice and heads over.

A man who seems to be a little older than me is manning the stand, and currently replacing some of his stock. He sees us approaching and puts out a few loaves of bread. When we meet him at his stand, he greets us as he wipes his hands on a small towel.

"Well hey there! What'cha want? My stock changes every day you know. Today I've got all kinds of breads, apples, oranges, pears, and for the kid here, sweets," He says with a chuckle.

"Hello," I begin, "We'll take a small loaf of wheat bread and…" I look down at Kael, who's eyeing the apples, the yellow ones more specifically. I can see a little bit of pain in his eyes. He's trying to ignore his stomach. "And four of the apples, the yellow ones."

"All right then, all together that's thirty Rupees," He says while bagging the food. I take out my wallet, fish out two blue Rupees and a red one, and hand it to the man. He hands the bag to me and we turn to move on.

"Hey, wait up!" He says as we start to walk away, "Forgot something."

Kael and I exchange looks, and head back to the stand.

"I can't let a kid leave my stand without anything special, 'ya know." He takes something out of a jar that seems to be taffy. "I'm feeling generous today. Take it, kid." He holds his hand out to Kael, who looks very confused.

"Go on Kael, take it." I give him a little push forward. He slowly draws his hand out and takes the candy, eyeing it with some intensity.

"What is it?" He questions.

"You have to be joking, kid! That's taffy, I think it's orange. Go ahead, try it. Wife made it herself," The man insists, putting his hands on his hips.

Kael un-wraps the taffy and pops it into his mouth, chewing rather quickly.

"Well?" The man asks.

"Chewy."

"So you like it then. I've never seen a kid who hasn't had taffy before. Where'd you come from, Romani?"

" Eastern Segment, the outskirts of it," I say before letting Kael answer. I don't want to start anything right now.

"Ah. You're pretty close to Romani though. I used to live in the Southern Segment growing up. Anyway, I don't mean to keep you from your business. Good day, sirs. Come back, will you?"

"Sure will."

We turn for a second time and walk a distance from the stand before I pipe up.

"Kael, I have a question for you. Remember Starn, the man on the train I was talking to? He has a daughter and well, we were just wondering if you wanted to meet her. She's younger than you, though."

"How old is she?" He asks pretty bluntly.

"Eight. She'll be nine in a few months."

"Why do you want me to meet her?"

"Well, she's kind of like you. She's alone most of the time, always around sitters. She needs someone to play with, and we figured you were the right person."

He narrows his eyes again. In just one day, he's changed drastically. I'm seeing more and more of his true personality. Is he opening up?

"You think I'm like a little girl?"

"No, no! I mean you both share some characteristics."

"If you say so."

We find a good place to rest, one of the public benches scattered around the area. Sitting down, I put down Kael's bag and reach for the bread in mine. I tear it in half and give one part to him.

"I'm not hungry right now," He says, forcing the bread back.

"I know you're hungry. I'm not going to let you starve yourself for no good reason! Please, eat."

"…Fine, if it'll make you happy."

We eat in silence, just like last time. At least Kael is talking a lot more now. Why he doesn't want to eat is strange. When he does eat though, he tends to take in a lot.

After our lunch, we toss our trash into a tiny bin next to the bench and make our way back to the station. Kael this time stays by my side, not trying to go ahead of me. I wonder why, actually.

Back on the train, we sit across from each other. I'm sure that Starn won't be back. Whenever he leaves with his fellow coworkers, I usually don't see him for the rest of the day.

Kael rests his head in his hand like before, staring out at land going by, shades of green dotted by purples and pinks, most likely wildflowers and bushes. With nothing to talk about or to do, we both let our minds take over, each of us in our own world. He starts to hum a tune, something a little upbeat and short. He repeats the tune over and over, getting progressively softer and louder at times. I've heard it somewhere before, but I don't remember where.

"What song is that?" I ask.

"I don't know, it's really old," He responds, not moving an inch. He continues to stare out the window and after a while, he starts to hum again.

"Well, it's pretty," I say, leaning back into the chair.

Having nothing better to do, I try to accompany Kael's tune with a beat, tapping softly on my knees. He acknowledges my beat and hums just a bit louder, turning his hums into a 'do' sound. I manage to get somewhat in-time and whistle the tune myself.

And then for the first time in a while, I see Kael put on a small smile. It fills me with a weird joy to see him smile, even if it's just the tiniest grin or smirk. Maybe it's the fact that he rarely smiles? I don't know. We continue our song until we can't any longer. Kael lets his part fade and slow down, then stops completely. For a while we sit in silence, still wondering what just happened over the course of those few minutes. Kael turns his body to face me, and we just look at each other for a moment.

"I remember something about the song."

"What?"

"The title has 'Lyric' in it."

"How do you know about it, the song?"

"…From someone."

"You don't want to talk about that someone, do you."

"No."

"Fine then."

* * *

After a while, we reach the station just a ways from home. We let the other passengers pass us by before we stand to leave, and travel on down the corridors of the train. Every one of these trains look alike, from the plush red seats to the golden-colored guard rails that the elderly would use and the young children would play around with. As we walk down, the halls become more spacious, which contain the cabins that differed in price. To tell you the truth, I've never been in one of those cabins before. The only time I would be would be for some sort of business trip or something like that.

At last at the front, Kael goes ahead of me down the stairs, jumping off the last one with a thud to the ground below. I step down carefully and step out of the way in case any other people wanted to get out. With that not occurring, we make our way down the dirt path that led to the store, me enjoying the scent of the ocean that was close by.

That ocean holds more than fish. It holds stories and rumors of old and new. The same ocean houses the remnants of an undersea temple that the Hero fought and explored in. How he did it alone like that is something I can't explain. However, there was another Hero before him that traveled these very same waters- as you may already know- who went on journeys to save those he loved, including the girl who turned out to be the start of the royal family we have today. I still don't believe if he traveled underwater in a tiny sailboat with no protection from the elements, but that is the legend.

Going up the road, we reach the store, its "closed" sign fluttering in the breeze. I open the door and let Kael in first. He goes to sit on the couch, putting the bag down.

"I'm going to put these in the dresser. They'll be in the middle drawer, alright?"

He nods.

I go over and pick up the bag, and head to the bedroom. I dump the bag's contents onto the bed and fold them, placing them in the shelf. I really do hope these fit him. I go back out and as I pass the entrance to the store, I remember what was in the backroom. Smiling to myself, I make my way there, opening the door as quietly as I could. I sift through the somewhat dusty area until I come across a stuffed cat, the one that I showed Kael earlier today. I pick it up and take it over to him, still resting on the couch.

"Hey, Kael. Got something for you," I say, holding out the plush. He stands and takes it, playing with its ears.

"Thanks," He mumbles.

"Anytime."

With nothing to do for the rest of the day, we go about our own business.

* * *

Night arrives quicker than I expected it to. We finish with our dinner and go our separate ways again. I go off into the bedroom and reach into my drawer, pulling out a book. It's been awhile before I've read anything, so I figure this will do me some good.

Kael spots me with my book, and questions me about it.

"Oh, it's just a book. If you want, I can read some of it to you."

"What's it called?"

"The Lake," I reply.

I sit on the couch and Kael comes crawling up next to me. I open the book to the page I was at, and begin reading. He doesn't want to start at the beginning, I suppose.

"_With a grin, I followed her down the street, hiding every time she would look my way. I loved playing with her, especially during the summer when school wasn't keeping us in all the time. I finally caught up to her and let out a little 'boo'. She turned and giggled, her frame bouncing a bit. _

'_I found you! I'm hiding next, Abel!' She exclaimed._

'_One, two, three, four…' I closed my eyes and counted out-loud, her pitter-patter encircling me. I hear a rustling as I near thirty, and then a giggle at forty. I opened my eyes, and looked around. There in the tree was a pair of dangling feet, wearing simple black Mary-Janes and white leggings. I didn't think she knew that I could see her, so I went around for a few minutes, looking behind houses and in bushes. When the time came to find her, I climbed up the tree and sat next to her, saying a simple found you._

_She smiled and pecked me on the cheek. I couldn't have been happier that day. Sadie and I were together after a long time, ever since the accident on the ice. Through it all, we were still friends. I wouldn't give up anything for that."_

Kael fidgets a little, and yawns. I think it's time to retire for today. I close the book gently and lay it on the little table next to me, telling Kael we should probably get some sleep. He nods and follows me into the bedroom with his plush, opening the bottom drawer. He pulls out one of my night shirts and a pair of pants. I think it's a little strange for him to be sleeping in my clothing, but it's all we can manage for now. I myself grab the same, heading into the bathroom to allow Kael to undress privately.

I come back out and see that Kael is already inside the blankets, his head barely sticking out. I get in beside him and say a good night as I flick the lamp off on the nightstand.

As with everything today, I learned a little more about Kael, but also gained a few more questions. He has never experienced many things that we take for granted, and he knows things that surprise me. I still wonder if he knows anything of the legends passed down through the generations.

Earth God's lyric is a tune that only royalty, descendants and friends of the Hero know.

* * *

AN: I am so sorry guys that this came out so late. School has been rough on me, and I should have gotten this in earlier if it wasn't for a lot of things going on. This chapter is a little short, and again, I'm sorry!


	4. Deeper Down in the Rabbit Hole

AN: Well, here it is, the fourth chapter of Speak! I'm warning readers now, this is where secrets get revealed, some weirder and stranger than others.

* * *

It's been a few days since that Sunday. Kael has gotten used to customers coming and going. He's doing very well, actually. I haven't forgotten about the fact that he knows about the Earth God's Lyric. Only a select few know about this piece, and I happen to be one of them. My knowing stems from the very first Linebeck, long gone obviously. He was taught this tune by the first Hero as a goodbye thing. From what I've been told, on the night the two were to part, before the Hero was to defeat the beast called Bellum, he was a little depressed. He had finally made a friend, besides the currently stone child he knew. Now he was leaving him, and he didn't want to go. Then his friend had a very good idea; give each other something to remember them by. So they did, an exchange of song and watch. The Hero sang out his tune until he was sure his friend had it.

After the final battle, they parted for only a short time, seeing each other on the seas that day. Together with the band of pirates, they formed Neo Hyrule. The Earth God's Lyric, as well as another sacred tune I do not know, has become something held dear by the royal and my families. Every generation of my family knows the small tune, even my sister. How Kael knows, is something I plan to find out. I do remember another thing about the royal-

"I can't get the marmalade jar down! Help?" A voice rings out, breaking my train of thought.

"Coming," I sigh. My thoughts can wait.

I rush over to where he was in the store. He really couldn't get the jar down, the shelf was still too high for him. He tells me that he was looking for a stool to stand on, but he couldn't find one. I think for a moment and grab him around the waist, hoisting him up to the shelf.

"Got it!"

I quickly bring him back down. He gives me his thanks and rushes over to the counter, ringing up a purchase for an older woman. Today has been a little slow, not so many people coming in. It's a good thing, actually. Stressing over watching three things at once isn't very good for someone.

Anyway… another thing I remember about the royal family is that the Princess who saved the country with the late Hero had a child. Obvious, but she had the baby out of wedlock, a bastard child. With whom is obvious enough: the Hero. When she found out she was to have a child, they planned to get married as quickly as possible. She was seventeen, him sixteen. Too young to be parents, and too young to be married. Regardless, they tried and were able to set up a date a few weeks later.

Three days before the wedding however, the Hero was making his rounds, delivering parcels when tragedy struck. Something on the tracks was loose, causing the train to swerve and flip over. The details of the crash, I won't say. As I've said before, he was killed instantly in the crash. When the Princess and the rest of the country were informed of this, they were devastated. The wedding was called off. She married another man, this time the marriage arranged, before she gave birth. This man was cold and full of hatred for the child, ordering it to be taken out of the castle after a little while. To him, the bloodline had to remain pure, no matter whom the father was. He didn't want to raise another man's child. He ordered the child to be "taken away", or to be killed. The Princess tried very hard to save her daughter, but it was in vain. She was smothered in her sleep.

Meanwhile, the Princess had another daughter who bore the twins we have today. Speaking of the twins, they told us that we could visit and talk at any time. I could speak to them about Kael's strange relation with the Earth God's Lyric, and how he knows about it. Perhaps we could figure it out. It's a wild guess, but what if? What if he has any relation… he couldn't, could he? I'm going to give myself a little bit of time to think about this. I don't want myself to be jumping to conclusions though; I could just be _perhaps_ paranoid.

Even if I wanted to visit the twins, I couldn't. Rae is visiting today. I haven't told Kael yet, heck, I've never told him about having a sister at all! I'll just wait until the last few customers leave and go speak to him. I don't want her to surprise him too much.

After a few minutes, the group finally leaves. Seeing my cue, I go on up to the counter where he's currently reading something. I tap on the counter to get his attention.

"Hey Kael, I need to tell you something. It's important."

He quickly looks up at me, interest in his eyes.

"The thing is, I have a sister. Rae. I never told you about her, and I'm sorry about that. She's coming to visit today, so I just wanted to give you a little heads up."

And as if by magic, Rae came in, swinging the door open forcefully.

"Hey big bro, sorry I came so early. The train I was going to take was cancelled so I had to take another one, which was earlier than I wanted it to be."

I whip my head around to look at my sister. Strange enough, she's wearing a dress. I figure it's just because she wanted to dress for the weather.

"And to think I was just talking about you. It's alright. I'd like you to meet someone, Rae."

"Who? I don't see anyone… are you talking about the short kid over there?"

Kael popped out from behind the counter and came around to stand beside me. He gave Rae a look.

"I'm not short," He said, folding his arms.

"You kind of are, kid," She replied, then directed her gaze onto me. "I don't remember you telling me you adopted."

"I didn't adopt him. He just works and lives here for the time being."

"You adopted him."

"There's a difference."

"Nope. What's his name, anyway?"

I sigh, knowing that I won't win this argument. I've never won an argument with her before, and I won't now. "He doesn't really have a name. I just call him Kael."

So many expressions, so little time. Rae's face contorted in seconds.

"How does he not have a name? He isn't some kind of slave, is he? You're better than that!"

"No Rae, he's not a… well… he-." I'm in for it now.

"Where did you find him. Tell me. Now."

"Western Segment."

"Linebeck, you don't know how much I want to pummel your face in. But you're my brother, so I won't," She sighed. "Listen. There's a slave shop in the Western Segment. It's down in one of the alleyways. How you found it, I don't know. Sometimes, people come in to… relieve their frustrations, if you catch my drift. From the looks of this one, he's been through some deep sh- stuff."

I instantly look down, and find that Kael is not next to me. Where did he run off to?

"Living room, if you're wondering."

"How do you know about all that?"

"I get around. I talk to people."

I shake my head and make my way to the living room, where Kael is curled up on the couch. I sit down and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

No response. Rae comes in cautiously and stands in front of us.

"I was right…"

Kael sits up a little, not looking at either of us.

"You think you know everything, don't you. There's more to that place than you know."

Rae and I exchange looks of worry, and I ask, "Can you tell us what they did to you?"

There was a long pause before Kael finally spoke.

"I was given up by my mother when I was younger and placed in an orphanage. The man who ran the place had a wife. She was sick all the time. When she died, he went completely mad and stayed in his office all day. The orphanage was losing money, and the expenses were piling up. He didn't know how to pay for our needs. That's when he changed."

"What happened?"

"He began to sell us as slaves. Just plain working slaves. When the buyers were done with us, we were sent back to the orphanage, and the man got paid a small amount of money. He had to disguise the place as a cart factory to make sure the officials wouldn't get curious. To make us less like people, he gave us numbers. Most of us don't remember our names anymore. However, after a while, he realized that his money was dwindling. Further into madness. Out of sheer greed and desperateness, he sold us for something different. Something that hauled in a lot of money."

"What did he sell you for?"

He breaths in deeply and closes his eyes. "Pleasure."

I feel like I'm going to be sick. I've never heard of someone so vile, so indecent as to put children on the market. Neo Hyrule is supposed to be a country of freedom, not one of force! I cover my mouth; I can feel my stomach churn.

"So… you're not a…"

"I can't say I'm pure anymore."

"We have to tell someone, we have to-"

"Tried that. One of us escaped once, and brought officials with him back. They didn't see anything wrong with it, and put him back inside."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know."

I shake my head. Why would someone force a child to do this? Trafficking? In our Neo Hyrule? This is just pure evil at its finest. Someone has to do something about this. The damage has been done, so there's no way of getting him out of his… state of mind. I just wish he could forget about everything he's seen, but I know that is impossible. I finally know why he acts so differently, but I don't think madness is the reason. He's safe now, and that's the only thing that matters.

"Can I go lie down?" he asks, pushing me off. I clear my throat and glance at Rae, still there watching us. Her expression is unusually stoic. Most of the time, she is full of emotion; she just can't keep a straight face.

"Of course. I'll man the shop for the rest of the day, alright?"

He nods slowly and I watch him trudge towards the bedroom. He doesn't look back as he closes the door.

I feel like I lost something. It's as if with Kael telling me of how he had lost his innocence, I lost mine as well. I can't think clearly, and I'm sure Rae can tell.

"You okay?"

"Somewhat. How could you be so calm in that situation?"

"Thing is Linebeck, I hear this kind of stuff all the time. I'm used to it. That's what I get for living so close to the Western Segment, I suppose," She puts a hand on my shoulder, "But listen, don't worry about it. What's done is done, it can't be changed back. I've had to counsel survivors of tragedy before like him, it's my job. He just needs someone to talk to, a parental figure I suppose. Don't let your life rotate around someone else, 'kay?"

And with that she left the room. Again she has baffled me. Not only was she calm then, but now the way she spoke to me. Usually she's very blunt about everything, so in your face. But the way she spoke now, she was so caring and… nice. But wait, did she say counseling? I'll let her give Kael a shot, but after he gets up. Besides, I still need to know about his relation to the Earth God's Lyric. When I finally know that, maybe I'll better understand everything and have a different thing on my mind for a while. For now, I need to man the shop.

I stand and find my way over to the trading area, where Rae is already behind the counter.

"Thought I could help you for today, since your little worker is snoozing over there."

And back to normal Rae, so quickly.

"Thank-you. If you need anything-"

"I've worked here before, don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Alright, if you insist."

I make my way to my post, and see something on the desk that catches my eye. On it, are papers in handwriting I recognize as only Kael's. One sheet is full of the problems we did so many days ago. I guess he didn't want to scrap it. Then are a few other sheets covered in chicken scratched notes, some like: remember to ask Linebeck for this and that, or remember to place that there. I really shouldn't be sifting through his personal notes, but I can't help myself.

Then something else makes me stop for a moment. From underneath a tiny shelved box sticks out a piece of paper. I take it out and read its contents:

_Memory is such an easy thing to manipulate, to form and shape. It sticks to you through life, no matter if you want it there or not. This is my personal record of my memory and thoughts throughout the day. Please, refrain from reading this, Linebeck. I know you will anyway, but if you do read this, don't ask me about it._

Seems he knows me so well after only being together for almost a week. Hm. I continue reading:

_Lately, I've been asked about a song I only remember because my mother taught it to me before she left me at the orphanage. It's so simple, a baby could recite it to you. Well, not really. It's just the fact that she told me to always keep it with me is the strange thing. Why should I not forget the only thing that binds me to my mother who threw me into that place without a care? People are strange._

_ End of entry._

Now I don't think she just threw him in, she had to have a purpose. Was it too hard to support him? I read on:

_I like the book he has been reading to me. I really do. I wish he would read more of it to me. But why did the girl have to move away and not come back until years later, only to discover that her friend was long gone as well by the time she moved back? People need to learn to wait for each other._

_ End of entry._

_ Sometimes, I really want to die. No, I really wish I was gone. Not dead, but just… gone. I hate my life. Or at least I hate Lyle. I hate him. He killed me already, why am I not dead? He was such a nice man… till he locked me in a room with a stranger, that is._

_ End of Entry._

I understand how much he wants to leave his life behind. I just don't wish to die. Why would someone wish to do so, I have no idea. So is the beady-eyed man's name Lyle? Hm, at least I can give the man a name. But killed him already? I don't understand.

_I've been thinking if I should reveal my name already. I mean, I like the name Kael, but it's weird being called that all the time. Of course, my name is so silly, he would just laugh at it. I'm afraid of being laughed at, sometimes. I was laughed at all the time back then by the "clients", so why am I not used to it now? The way it sounds is silly too. It sounds like I'm saying a vegetable's name, just ex out the double e's. _

Is he talking about a leek? Wait, his name can't be that. There's no way.

_Spelling it is different though. I like the way it looks when you write it. Link. It's nice looking, like Lucy. Did I just write that?_

_ End of entry._

So, his real name is Link. Not only does he look like the Heroes, but he shares the name. Not surprising, but interesting really. It's better than being the fifth in your family to be called by the same name. I'm just glad that Rae didn't get called something like Becky. That would've been fun.

_By now Linebeck, you've found this and read through it, trying to process my thoughts. I understand curiosity and what it can lead to, but please don't ask about any of this. I don't like talking about myself, and I don't think you do either. I like to keep things to myself. _

_ End of entry._

Well then. I turn the paper over and see that there's nothing on the back. I slip it under the box like the way I found it, and take out my own piece of paper. Inking a pen, I write:

_Please, don't bottle up your thoughts. I care about you too much for you to do that. Tell me what exactly is going on with you. _

_ -Linebeck_

Finished, I lay the paper near the box so he'll see it the next time he has the urge to write. So his mother left him at the orphanage, and before that taught him the Earth God's Lyric, a tune that only those who are close to the royal family know. Something doesn't add up here. How can his mother know the tune, when she must be an ordinary citizen? A visit to the twins will most likely clear this up once and for all. With K-… Link sleeping and Rae at the trading post, there's nothing to do but organize stock and wait on some customers.

* * *

A few hours pass by, another slow day thankfully. Tomorrow is Saturday, and that means a closed shop. I lean on the counter, my hand cupping my face as I begin to doze off.

Rae comes in and shakes me awake, telling me she has to leave. She told me that "Kael" is still asleep, she checked. I nod and ask her to come again in the near future. She says she will, and she's off on her way home, to the outskirts of the Western Segment. The evening is still, like it was the days before. I hear another door open and close. "Kael" is up. I watch him, still in his day-clothes, trudge up to the counter, rubbing his eyes.

"Tired, eh. You still have to eat something, you know."

He nods, his eyes going half-lidded for a minute.

"Oatmeal sound okay? We still have some of the honey left from yesterday."

He nods again. I notice that he's holding his plush. He's grown attached to it. I have to admit, I slept with one too when I was younger, it was a thing for getting to sleep though.

"Good. I'll be in the kitchen; you can come in anytime to help me, alright?"

"Uh-huh."

I go around him and begin to leave the room, looking back to see him reach for the paper next to the box. I would like to see his reaction to it, but I don't want to seem like I'm intruding, if that's the word I'm even looking for. In the kitchen, I lay out a pot and pour in water from the faucet, then place it on the burner. I turn the heat up and wait for it to boil.

A little while later, "Kael" finds me, saying my name with a confused look on his face. He cocks his head and asks, "You read it, and then proceeded to ask me about it. And yet you say you care about me?"

"Of course I do. If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't be asking, right?"

His eyes dart around every which way, then turning his head down, he mutters out a thanks.

"Anytime, Link."

This time, his head jolts up, and his jaw drops a tiny bit.

"What did you call me?"

"By your real name. Might as well start."

I knew he was going to cry, the way he walked in made red flags stand straight. He walks up to me and wraps his arms around my middle, his head in my chest. I hold his head against me, and I sway a little to comfort him.

"I've said it before, you're safe here. There are two people who care about you. Death is never the answer."

"…Really?"

"Of course. I bet you mother loved you very much. She just couldn't support you and make enough money. Is that true?"

He nods and removes his arms. We stand there for what seems like an eternity until Link speaks again.

"Why did she leave me there?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Like I said, she might not have had a lot of money to live on, and she just couldn't support you. It's terrible; the place you and she thought to be a safe haven turned out to be a living Hell in the long run."

He shifts and looks behind me. "…The water is boiling."

* * *

After dinner, we clean the dishes and set them out to dry. Link asks me if I could read to him again. I pick up the book from the table in the bedroom and take it out to the living room where he's already sitting in the couch. I take a spot next to him and open to the page where we left off. He's actually been reading from the beginning, with some of my help and slight pressure. He likes the story, and he wants to get through it, beginning to end.

_"Yes, I still want to find her," I pouted. Sadie left before I had the chance to say goodbye properly. Over the years, she's always been in my thoughts. When my family moved, I was sure she wasn't coming back, but now I feel different. She could be there now, going up and down the street we used to play in, standing under the tree we told our innermost secrets in. I wonder if she has the same feelings about me._

_ "Then go find her. Who knows, she just might be in Alder right now, looking for you," Said mother. She was always the optimistic in the family, keeping our heads held high whenever something brought the world crashing down around us._

_ "How?"_

_ "Alder isn't too far, you know. Here's some money, go buy yourself a train ticket and get yourself to your girlfriend."_

_ "Thanks… hey, she's not my girlfriend!"_

_ "Not yet."_

_ "Mom!"_

_ "Just go, Abel. I'll be here, praying that you find her soon."_

_ I nodded and gripped the crisp paper, wondering if what she said was true. Could Sadie have come back to Alder, after all this time? Walking out into the snow, I shiver and hold my coat together. It was a short walk to the station, but to me it seemed like forever to pay and find a seat._

_ Finally in, I watched the scenery go by, covered by blankets of fallen snow. It looked beautiful, but the cold weather has taken the lives of people before. It is unwise to stay out there for long. _

_ Alder isn't as bustling as it was those few years ago, but it still has the same folks from before. I just hope that Sadie hasn't given up on me; I haven't on her._

"And that's the end of the chapter."

"Can we read a little more?"

"I would say yes, but it's getting late and you need your sleep. So no."

I close the book and set it down on the table, following Ka- Link to the bedroom.

* * *

Both of us changed out of our day clothes, we take our spots in the bed, with Link falling asleep very quickly. He's one to do that often, I suppose. I lie there, listening to his soft snoring.

"Goodnight, Link," I say before letting myself drift off to sleep as well.

* * *

AN: And there we have it. It's taking a while to get these out, and I'm still sorry about that. Anyway, see you all next chapter.


	5. Searching For Truth

AN: Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy, you guys! (And gals)

* * *

This morning is like all the others before it: slow and sluggish. I've decided that we go to the castle today. It's been a while since we've seen the twins, and today is a good day to go. There's just one problem: it's raining. With both of us ready to go, the rain is going to prove itself a nuisance. Oh well, rain is a good thing. It's just a little rain, a light shower, if you will. I wonder how long it's been since K-…Link was out in the rain.

Speaking of Link, I also wonder how his mother found the orphanage. The Western Segment has been horrible for years, even before he was even born. So, why? My guess is that the two lived there, and was the only place she could put him in at the time. I also wonder how old he was, too. And who was his mother, anyway?

"Hey, Linebeck? I found a box full of things, come look?"

Seems like he's found the box full of pictures and trinkets that I keep in storage. I make my way towards his voice, opening the door to the storage room. It's a little dark in here, with just a single light coming from the ceiling. I can see dust flying about in the light.

"A box? Hm, I think you found my family's keepsake box. But not all of it is my family, see?" I say as I kneel down and pluck a pictograph I've seen before; the one with the boy, the captain, and the fairies in front of a ship.

"This is one of the older ones, taken many years ago," I point to the captain, "That is my great-great grandfather. He owned that ship, lived on it too."

"Who's the boy? He looks like me…"

"Back then, he was a Hero. Not just any local savior, but a true Hero. He traveled vast distances, and fought the biggest beasts that seemed to be from imagination. He saved two lands; the Great Sea, and the land below it, the original Hyrule. Hyrule is now underwater, it has been for hundreds of years. That is the land from which Neo Hyrule got its name. The boy does look like you, huh?"

"What's his name, do you know?"

"I was just about to get to that. His name was Link."

"I'm named after a Hero?" The look on his face was, I would say, priceless.

"Actually, two. The second one died young, very young. He saved this land with the Princess long ago. He was a train conductor, and a warrior to boot."

"How did he pass?"

"He was killed in a crash, his train flipped over. He was about sixteen, and engaged. You know, to be wed."

"To who? The Princess?"

"Yes. The terrible thing though, was that she was already pregnant with his child. They only were to marry because of that. If she wasn't, then she would have had to marry another man at the orders of her father."

He cocks his head in confusion. "Why?"

"Because royal unions are arranged. Usually, there is no love in the bond. Women had little rights back then. Marriages are still arranged to this day, I think."

"That's terrible."

"That's royalty for you. They wish to keep bloodlines strong."

He quickly went to another picture, this one of the same boy with three fairies.

"What are those things?" He asked, pointing to the red, blue, and yellow orbs of light.

"Those Link, are fairies. Fairies are magical creatures, little sprites that dart around, some good and some bad. These were good ones that hung around the Hero for a while."

"Are they still around?"

"No. They left Neo Hyrule many years ago. Magic doesn't really exist here anymore."

"Why did they leave?"

"I can't answer that right now. I don't know why they left. There are some rumors being passed around about some people seeing the rare creatures. "

"Do you think we'll ever see one?" He grinned. Not many children know about these creatures, so it's good to see that someone still has a little faith in them.

"Maybe. Like I said, they're very rare. Just looks for tiny lights and light giggles. Who knows, you might find one."

His smile got even bigger. I think he's just made a goal to find one of the fairies somewhere. He went back to the box, pulling out a coin with a strange triangular symbol on it.

"What's the symbol on this mean? It kind of reminds me of the symbol for the flags and things here."

"That symbol is a marking of old. There are legends passed down about it, but I don't know any of them. All I know is that this is the inspiration for the symbol we carry today, a single triangle with a bird underneath."

"Oh. Hey, who's that? He looks like a little you." He pulls out another pictograph.

"Yep, that's me as a tyke. Next to him is gramps. I was really tiny back then, huh."

He nods. "I never had any pictographs taken of me, except back at the… I don't know what it is anymore. I don't have them anymore. But they're really old, anyway."

"Hm. I have a pictobox lying around somewhere. That way you can have a pictograph taken, if you want."

"Really?"

"Yep. I have to find the thing first, though. It's somewhere in here, I know that. Just look for an orange box with a lens sticking out. Not hard to miss."

"Got it."

He stands up and feels around the shelves that he could reach, me taking the ones he couldn't. All I could find was mounds of dust, while Link found what we were looking for.

"Is this it?"

"Can't say it isn't. Let me take that off your hands for a moment." He hands the pictobox to me as I open the door to the general store. "Alright, ready?"

He beams at me again and nods. He finds a spot to stand, almost in front of a window. I hold it up, my finger on the button to capture the picture. I zoom in to the point where the area for the picture holds his middle and up.

"Don't move or blink now!" And… click. He didn't blink, but the flash caught him off guard. He starts to rub his eyes, staggering a little as he tries to walk.

"Sorry, about the flash. You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good. This is an upgraded model; it can hold up to twelve pictures, more than the three from earlier days. It can also "print" them out as well. Let's see what we have here…" I press another button, and slowly comes out his pictograph, all white. I shake it away from me for a minute and look again. It's almost done developing.

"Can I see?"

"Sure thing. Just don't squeeze it, you'll ruin the photo." He takes it and looks it over a few times.

"I didn't think I could smile so dumbly."

"It's not dumb looking, you're just happy. And sometimes you look dumb when you're happy."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Course not. Anyway, we need to get ready to go. Go put your boots on."

"But it's raining." He wasn't whining, just acknowledging the fact that it's unwise to go outside for long periods of time in the rain. Or maybe he was. I can't be too sure.

"I have an umbrella, don't worry. Now go get your things, alright?"

I watch him go to the front door where he left his boots last. He slips them on and runs back to me, placing the photo on a counter. Thinking for a bit, he asks me if I have anything like a coat he could use.

"You can use one of mine. Go ahead, there's bound to be a clean one in the dresser."

And off he goes again, minutes later coming back with a black coat on him. The thing is just barely dragging on the floor, covering most of his arms and hands.

"Well, that looks a little big, don't you think?" I try to contain my laughter.

"It's all you had…" He looks down at himself, frowning at his arms.

"It's okay, just don't let it drag, all right? Hold it up a bit when you walk."

"Like a dress?" I really don't like the analogy he made there, but it works.

"Yeah… like a dress. Now let me grab my umbrella, and we'll be off."

"Fine," he says, pulling at the coat. It really is big for him. As long as he doesn't trip and fall, we're good. I move over to the door, where my umbrella sits in a holder next to the door. I grab onto it and motion for us to go outside. Link follows but I stop him with a hand behind me before he can head out the door.

"Let me open this first. I don't want you getting hit in the head with it." I hold the umbrella outside and flick a switch. It opens quickly, fanning out at it does. "Now you can go out," I say, letting him pass. I quickly bring the umbrella over him and I, and we start walking at a fast pace. There's already mud on the ground, puddles everywhere too. Like I told him to do before, Link is hiking up the coat, like a dress. Though I have thought him to have a slightly feminine look to him, this is just ridiculous. I mean, really. It is the only thing between him and a muddy coat, but oh well.

It's a good thing we dressed rather warmly; autumn is coming to a close. This rain is freezing cold. Link happens to be wearing his dark-green shirt of a thick material, and I in a few layers myself, but not much. I'm practically freezing. We should've waited until tomorrow, but that won't happen. Turns out Rae is coming back tomorrow evening to check up on Link. She sent a letter telling us so. The postal service is… remarkably fast. So, visitation today only.

Speaking of Rae, I need to tell her about "Kael's" real name. Hmm, the name "Kael" seems so… foreign to me now. It's just weird, not calling him that anymore. Maybe that's how he felt when he was being called that number… and Kael too. When she comes around, that's the first thing I'm telling her.

"F-freezing…" Yep, great idea this was. I hope he doesn't get sick.

"We're almost to the station. We'll find a dry place to sit after we buy our tickets, all right?"

"O-okay," He replies, hiking up the coat again. "Well, I-I feel s-silly."

"Nah, you shouldn't. It's just a coat. We'll get you one later, if you want."

"I'm okay with this one."

His answer threw me off a bit. "Really? All right then, if you insist."

* * *

At the station, we head up to the booth. The line is fairly short, and it only takes a few minutes to get up front. The booth is covered by a large roof overhead that extends very far. I put down my umbrella.

"Hello there. I need two tickets, one child and one adult, please," I say to the man manning the booth. He looks around in confusion for a reason I don't understand.

"Where's the kid?" Oh great, more short kid statements.

"He's right here. He's a little… small."

The man looks down a bit more and spots Link, who happens to be looking up at him with a furrowed brow.

"Ah. Sorry kid. You're just well, short."

"I'm not short." He folds his arms and pouts.

"If I can't see you, you're short. But you're just a little kid. Kids are short."

"I'm not a little kid!" Oh boy, here we go.

"Well then," he says, leaning over the counter to look directly at him. "How old are you?"

He doesn't say anything after that. Does he not know his own age? Lyle told me that he was somewhere around the ages of twelve and thirteen. But really, he doesn't look his own age.

"Come on, it's okay to say how old you are, Link." I let his name slip.

"Wait a second. What's his name again?" The man's eyes widen. He doesn't know about the legends, right?

"Erm… his name is Link. What's wrong, sir?"

"That name, I haven't heard it in years. …You do know about that one kid who got into a nasty accident, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry for saying this, and don't take it personally, but anyone who names their kid that is a complete idiot. You don't name people after dead Heroes. That's just wrong." He clears his throat before beginning again. "He doesn't look much like you. Did he take after his ma more than you?"

And yet another person who thinks he's my son. Why does everyone think this? We look nothing alike.

"He's not my son, and I didn't name him. I don't know his mother, so I wouldn't call her stupid."

"Then why is he traveling around with you? Apprentice? Adopted? Babysitting maybe?"

"The first two, actually. I took him in to be my apprentice at my trading post."

"Hm. You don't happen to be that Linebeck fellow, eh?"

"I am, actually. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Now, back on topic." He glances at Link, who was watching him very intently through the entire time we've been here. "What's your age now?"

"…I'm eleven…" He says softly.

Oh dear. Lyle lied to me. Of course, that's to be expected. But why lie about age? He had no reason to, at least, a reason I don't know of. No wonder he looks so young; he is. And to think I thought he was thirteen. Oh well, no harm done with this information.

The man smiles and says, "See? You _are_ a little kid, short stack!"

"I'm. Not. Short."

"Oh, someone's gettin' feisty. I'm just pulling your leg, little guy! Har har!"

"Then stop calling me little."

"All right, all right. Just calm down. Ahem, anyway, your total comes up to be forty-five Rupees. Here are your tickets." He hands them to me swiftly, with Link giving the man some sort of glare. I have to agree, he is pretty short for his age. I hand him payment and start to walk away, with Link still at the counter.

"What'cha staring at, kid? Something on my face?" The man cocks his head a bit, with Link still giving him his glare.

"C'mon, Link. Leave him alone." I come back and tug at his shoulder, leading him a few steps back. Letting go, he walks right back up to the counter. Just what is going on here?

"I know you… from somewhere," Link says, eyeing the man.

"Oh really now? Where?"

"It's been a while, but I remember you. Have you ever been to the Western Segment?"

Alright, I'm confused. Just outright confused. What is he getting at now?

"Link, I'm being serious, leave him alone."

"No no, let him ask his questions. And yes, I've been there, for a business trip a year back. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing really. Just wondering is all." He doesn't look like he's wondering, he looks like he knows something I don't.

"Erm, fine then. Now run along, your teacher is waiting."

Honestly, what was that just now? The look on his face, I haven't ever seen him like that. It was almost a death threat! That's it, when I get the chance, I'm asking him about this one. He can't just go up to random people, asking them where they have been like that. Unless… oh Gods.

Link gives the man one more look and marches right on up to me. He's still pouting. Oh, but I'm furious.

"What in the world was that? Huh?" I grab him by a shoulder, my other hand holding the umbrella. "What were you doing, asking him a question like that?"

He merely cocks his head to the side and says, "You're causing a scene, Linebeck. Seriously, tone it down."

"What did you just say?" My grip becomes tighter.

"You're. Making. A. Scene," He replies slowly and steadily. If I didn't know how to control myself, he'd have a red cheek by now. Me? Making a scene? He's the one who went up to the poor man, asking him that strange question so loudly in front of everyone.

He's eyeing me now, with a look of disgust.

"I'm not the one who went up to the poor man and asked him that question, hmm?"

"You're the one who's talking about it, not me."

"I swear, if you don't stop this right now I'll-"

"Beat me? Kick me? Scream at me some more? That's childish and old to me. Like that's going to solve anything."

"I've had it with your mouth. You're going home."

"We're going home now?"

We're getting some nice stares from the crowd. Perfect.

"No, you are. I'm taking back your ticket. I'm going alone."

His eyes widen and his ears flatten in utter realization and fear. He shrinks back under my gaze.

"But-"

"Too late, kid. Stay here while I go up to the booth."

He starts sniffling, his eyes welling up with tears. Though I do feel bad, I need to show him that I'm his guardian now, not just someone who lives with him.

His eyes start darting around as I turn to head back up to the booth, and he grips my arm. Link buries his head in it, getting my sleeve soaked with tears. I don't know if he's just crying to get his way, or really because he doesn't want go back alone and get scared. I understand why, but by the Gods, the child needs to learn.

"No no no no no no… please… I don't w-wanna go back a-alone… what if…" I stop and he pushes himself into me, his arms clinging around my waist. Meanwhile, more people are staring at us. I give some of them a look, and they turn away, mumbling.

"What if what?" I ask.

"What if… L-Lyle finds me? I don't wanna go back… there… oh no… no… … no…"

He's shaking now. It's been a very long time since he shook last; I thought he broke the habit of it. I can see why he's crying now. He thinks Lyle is still on the loose, looking for him. That's why he doesn't want to leave my side. He thinks I can protect him from his "owner", which truthfully, I don't know if I can. He seems to be a dangerous man, and who knows what he has up his sleeve. …I don't know if I should leave Link alone now. I mean, he needs to learn, but this is a little harsh… right? I lead him to a bench and sit ourselves down. So much for privacy, but it's the best I can do in a public place like this.

After a few minutes, he finally stops his shaking. Thank goodness for that.

"Link, he's not going to find you. He's not here; we won't be seeing him ever again. Now please, stop. You're getting my shirt wet." Link moves himself away from me and scoots over to the edge of the bench.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. Now tell me, what's gotten into you? You keep trying to one-up me, and it's getting really tiring."

Link looks away from me and admits, "I feel like you're babying me, like I'm just a little kid. It makes me mad. I'm not a little kid, and I'm not short!"

"Did I say you were short?"

"No, but you still baby me."

"How so?" I cup my hands together on my lap.

"You're always asking for my permission on things, and if I want to do them. I can't explain it."

"Do you want me to make you do things you're not comfortable with?"

"No, not really."

"See? I only do that to make sure you're okay with things. Besides-"Am I really about to mention the plushie? No, I won't. That would upset him more. "…Besides, even though you're growing up and wanting to do more things, you need someone to keep you from getting in a big heap of trouble."

"And that's you, right?"

"Well, duh. It's not like I'm going to let you roam around by yourself, with what you've…"

"With what I've seen and done?"

I swallow hard and say, "Yes. I just don't want you getting hurt anymore. You may not be a little kid, but you're still a kid. You need to realize that."

"I don't think I am."

"That's the thing. You _are _a kid, but you're mind clearly isn't one of a kid. You think well, differently."

"Differently?"

"You just don't act like a kid would. Course, we both know why."

He looks down and replies, "Yeah…"

"Anyway, we'd better get going. There's a pair of twins we need to see!" I say to lighten the mood. Course, with the downpour of rain, the mood is as lightened as it can get.

He jolts up and whips his head towards me. "I'm coming with?"

"I don't think it's best to leave you alone like that. And listen, sorry for getting mad."

"I'm sorry for getting in your face."

"So we're both sorry then? Good. Anyway, we should get going now. …I'd still like to know what you were talking about with that man back there."

"Later, please?"

"As long as you tell me, I don't mind."

"Thanks." He stands up and I do too. We walk to the line for our train and stand, waiting.

There's so much I've been wondering about, it's going to make my head explode. Just who are Link's parents? What was he talking about with the man? I have no idea. I just hope this can get over with soon. I wonder just what kind of gossip will be floating around about me now, with the show put up just now. At least I can trust Starn, he won't believe any rumors he hears.

Speaking of Starn, I still need to get Link with Millie, and also tell him about "Kael's" real name. Rae too. How can just one child have so much complex issues? It's truly strange to me.

On the train, Link has already fallen asleep. We have a few hours to go, but I won't sleep. I'm the one who has to wake him up! I lean back and watch everything going by outside the window. I place my umbrella on the floor, it already getting the seat wet.

* * *

We arrive at the Square, the castle looming overhead in the distance. It's a magnificent sight, I must say. Bet Link would like this. I stand and tip=toe over to his still sleeping form and give him a little shake.

"Hey, Link. We're here, you gotta get up."

"Mmm?" He sits up slowly, rubbing his eyes. "We're here? At the castle?"

"No, the Square. Come on, the castle is up ahead."

He stands and yawns, walking in front of me. This is it. I… we are finally going to get some answers; and I'm ready for them, no matter how terrible or strange they are going to be. I'm done with guessing, I want the truth, and maybe Link wants it too.

At least, I hope he does.

* * *

AN: Phew, chapter five is up, after a long hiatus. I can't promise the wait for the next chapter will be this long, but I'll try my hardest not to take so long.

Anyway, see you all in the next chapter!


	6. Truth, History, and Backround

Nearing the door out of the train, a hand shoots out in front of us, smacking Link square in the face. He's very confused by the blow, and just stands there awkwardly. He puts a hand to his sore brow and rubs it, looking up at me.

…Well then. This is strange, to say the least. The hand looks familiar to me. The owner of the hand rises up out of the seat and stares down at Link, smiling at him. Link takes a few steps back and hides behind me a bit, frightened. And this fellow… he can't be no one but-

"Well 'ten. If it ain't Linebeck again! And 'is little apprentice! …Sorry 'fer smackin' ya there, little guy."

Starn? Well, this is new. How long has it been since we've last seen him? A few days, I guess. With everything that's been happening in the last week, it's been hard to keep track of time. I sigh and chuckle a bit as Link responds.

"It's okay, just hurt a little. …And please, don't call me little."

Starn gives a hearty laugh and replies, "What's wrong with callin' ya little? You are! Not in a bad way, o' course. So 'ow's it goin', Kael?"

Oh no. Looks like I have to break it to him now if Link can't keep up with the act he has to put on. Link looks up at me again with worry, but then goes back to Starn.

"I'm fine. But uh… erm…"

"What's wrong? Like like got 'yer tongue?"

Good thing his confusion kicked in, or I would've had to step in. Link's brow furrows and he cocks his head to the side.

"What's a like like?"

"Wha? Ya don't know? A like like is a terrible creature 'tat can gobble 'ya up!" Starn bends down and leans into Link's ear, whispering, "And I heard 'tey like boys just like you the best!"

Link steps back for a moment and shakes his head. I hope he didn't take Starn's comment seriously.

"What happens next?"

"After 'tey gobble 'ya up? 'Tey spit 'ya out!" Starn steps back and goes over to an open window. He makes a weird noise in his throat and he continues, "Like 'tis!" He spits out what he calls a loogie, and it lands on some poor unsuspecting fellow.

"Hey! Who did that? I swear, when I find you kid, you're going to be in a world of hurt!"

Starn's grin quickly turns into a frown as he races back to us. His eyes dart around like he was guilty of something. And he was, to some extent.

"Well, 'tat went pleasantly."

Meanwhile, Link was in a giggling fit, with his hand over his mouth.

"And what're you gigglin' at?" Starn says in a false tone of seriousness. This is why he's my friend. He can turn anything bad into a good joke.

"You, of course!" Link replies, still giggling.

"Bah! Well anyway kid, was there somethin' wrong with 'ya earlier? 'Ya kept stutterin'."

Well, crud. Looks like I have some explaining to do.

"Um, well… it's about…"

"It's about Kael's name. After a series of events at home, I found out his real one, as well as where exactly he erm, came from," I finish for him.

"Well 'ten, what's 'is name?"

"It's Link. I'm dead serious here, Starn."

It takes a while for it to sink in, but Starn comes back after a few moments.

"…I believe 'ya. Still, a kid runnin' around with 'tat name can get in some big time trouble. Be careful. Where'd 'e come from?"

Link and I exchange looks before I respond, saying, "Well, he was in an orphanage. But the orphanage became well, a bad place."

"How so?"

I sigh and make my way over to him. I lean into his ear and whisper, "After the owner's wife passed away, he went mad with grief. After a while, he began selling the children there as working slaves to keep up with the expenses."

Starn's eyes widen and his jaw drops a bit. "No way. Are you pullin' a swift one on me 'ere?"

"Unfortunately, no. There's more."

"…Go ahead."

"When the expenses piled up even more, he sold them as well… to put it bluntly: pleasure slaves."

Starn's eyes close and he sighs heavily. "Poor kid."

"I know, it's hard to take. But look, he made it out of there. Isn't that a good thing?"

Starn shakes his head and turns to leave the train, without an umbrella. Before he does though, he leaves us with this: "Just because 'is body made it out, 'tat doesn't mean 'is spirit did. And listen: if 'ya wanna visit Millie and I, come whenever." And with that, he's gone.

That hit me in so many places. It's true, what he said. Even though he's physically out, he isn't mentally. I wonder what's going on inside his head right now, the way he's eyeing me with pain in his eyes. I can tell he's hurting right now. At least I can maybe cheer him up later on now.

"Why did you tell him?" He asks, gripping the sleeve of my coat.

"I had to. He's my friend."

He waits for a second and replies, "…Can we just go already?"

"Yes. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just want to get this over with."

And with that, we head outside into the rain. I put my umbrella up with Link at my side. After a few minutes of walking, he pipes up again.

"Is that the castle up ahead?"

"Mm. It's big, isn't it?"

"I guess."

"You guess? What, have you seen something larger than this?"

"…No."

His answer doesn't seem truthful to me. I won't ponder it too much, though.

The castle really is gigantic, filled with many hallways and corridors. It's easy to get lost in there if you're not careful. The outside is what you would expect from a castle, large pillars, giant doors and windows. The castle is a plain white with hints of light blue around it. There's a garden around it there, too.

Every step we take gets us nearer and nearer to it. My heart is beating fast, I'm trying to go slower. But then I remember what we're here for and quicken the pace. I wonder if Link is feeling the same way. There's an arch over us now. The entrance to the outer courtyard. There are two guards in front of a giant door garbed in a vivid green with spears in their hands. They are motionless.

Link and I stop in front of the guards, with him naturally behind me a little. He's a very timid boy, I know that. But really, there's no reason to be shy around a bunch of guards.

"State your order of business," One of the guards barks at us. So much for a warm welcome, I suppose.

"I am Linebeck the Fifth, owner of my grandfather's trading post in the Eastern Segment," I say, then point to Link, "And this is my apprentice. We are here to speak with the prince and princess."

The two guards look at each other for a moment, as if trading thoughts with one another. The guard from before speaks up again, his words still harsh.

I'm very much surprised that they still wear that uniform. After the Hero passed away, the kingdom was under much grief, you'd think that they would change the uniform as to not be reminded of him. Instead, I feel that they wear it with pride.

"You are allowed entry. Jos will lead you to their chambers. Once you are finished, do not go about the castle on your own. You must head straight out. If you don't, we will take you out by force. Do you understand?"

We both nod, and the guards together open the door, with one of them going in. I assume this one is Jos. Strange name, but I don't think much of it. Before they let us in though, the same man halts us again after getting a good look at my umbrella.

"Sir, we're going to have to remove your umbrella from you. It's not that we don't trust you, it's just well, to put it bluntly, we don't want our floors wet. Is that clear?"

Seems reasonable. I hand over the umbrella and immediately feel the rain falling down on my head and shoulders. Link huddles close to me as if he's trying not to get wet. The two separate to allow us entry.

"Now get inside, quickly. Jos will be right behind you." He gives a cold stare to Link and continues, "And don't try anything funny, kid." Link gulps a bit as we are both hurry inside.

The castle is warm, warmer than outside at least. The floors are covered in royal blue carpeting embroidered with gold lining. The walls are white and barren, save for a few flags and tables with flowers on top of them in tiny vases. Link's eyes go wide at the sight.

"It's really big…" He says in awe.

"Course it is, kid. Say, didn't catch your name," Jos replies. Oh no, this is bad. What are we supposed to do? Just go with "Kael" again?

"Oh… it's Kael," He says with a small smile. I can easily tell its fake, but hey, it works.

"Kael, eh? Sure I can't just call you cabbage? Ha!"

"…Huh?"

I have to admit, this is pretty funny. I think it's my cue to explain something. Again.

"Kael, listen. He's talking about a type of cabbage called kale, k-a-l-e, and some people pronounce it like your name. They sound alike. Get it?"

"Oh… okay. Hey!"

Jos just doubles over in laughter. Not really fond of this man, but really, he's our guide. Lose him, and that's it.

"Bah, now you get it! Ah, but you're just a kid, you wouldn't know. Anyway, we need to get going. I must tell you two, the children have been expecting visitors for a while now. Must be you, I guess."

"Perhaps," I reply. We finally begin moving, passing more halls and finally reaching a set of stairs.

"This stairwell leads to the throne room. From there is the door to their chambers. Come with me," Jos orders, and we follow him up the stairs. I swear, my heart is beating way too fast. From the looks of it, Link is a tad nervous as well. We're so close now.

The door at the top opens to a massive room with red carpeting and massive thrones, all three of them empty. There is one in the center, which is the tallest. The other smaller ones sit next to the larger one, one on each side. There are two doors; one I know leads to the chambers. The other, I don't know. On the walls are two light blue banners with the symbol of the kingdom. On top of that is a giant painted-glass window of a young girl, presumably the first princess of the kingdom. However, she really doesn't look very… royal to me.

"Almost there. This is the throne room, obvious enough. The queen is out right now. She's speaking with the chief of the Gorons. Something about another route being created from their village to the Center Square to deliver their wares easier." So this means the children are on their own. "However, the queen's mother is in her chambers with the children. At least, that's the last place I saw them. Come."

Ah, I almost forgot. The children's grandmother still lives with them. The princess who's first child was taken away by the hands of fate is still alive and well. But why does she not have a throne herself?

We walk up the small set of stairs and take the right door, with Jos right behind us. Inside is another hallway with four rooms, most likely the chambers. Jos leads us to the last one and gives a few quick, hard knocks.

"Your highnesses, you have visitors. Do I have permission to let them in?"

"Do let them in, Jos," A voice rings out. It's Luca's, no doubt.

"Very well then," He opens the door, pushing us in. Jos follows close behind, blocking the way out of the room. The room itself is a deep shade of maroon with old floorboards, a giant bed, and a few windows. Around us are very expensive looking chairs. The two children are sitting on the floor, talking to an old woman in a bed. Luca looks up and smiles at me.

"So, you have decided to come and see us again? It is a treat to see you again, Linebeck," He says, standing up to shake my hand. He guides me over to a chair, pulling one up for Link as well. Zelda stands, sitting down in a chair across from Link, while Luca is across from me. The old woman in the bed stares at Link for an unknown reason, as if she is longing for a forgotten time. "Oh, Jos. You may leave. Our conversation will bore you, I'm sure of it."

"Erm… alright then," Jos turns to leave, closing the door behind him. I wonder what that was for?

"It is nice to see you two again as well," I say, figuring we can slip in some small-talk before getting into it.

"The same with you two. I must admit, you and your son look very similar with those coats!" Zelda giggles. Well, here goes some explaining.

"Here's the thing, your highness, he is not my son, merely my apprentice."

"Ah. I see. What is his name?"

"This… is going to be a little strange, but listen. His name is Link. I did not name him of course; it was his mother who gave him up to an orphanage in the Western Segment years ago." Link is fidgeting in his seat. When I mention Link's name, the old woman frowns at me.

"That is odd. Do you know who his mother is?"

"No. Link, do you know your mother's name still?"

His eyes scan the room, as if he's looking for a way out of the current conversation. I know it's a touchy subject, but we need this to be explained. Now.

"I think so… she said her name was very special, no other girls had it besides her. But it was changed once she got older, before she had me. I think it was Rose."

This time, the old woman jolted up out of the bed, her jaw dropping. She just stares for a minute before ordering her grandchildren out of the room. They protest, but they walk out anyway. Why, I don't know.

"You mother's name, child, was Rose? Am I correct?" Pretty name, I suppose.

"Yes. Why? Do you know her?"

"Perhaps," She said with a grin, "Did she have long, flowing blonde hair with bright blue eyes?"

"Yeah…"

"Was her adoptive mother's name Ann?"

"Adopted? She wasn't adopted. Her mom's name was Ann, though." Link does his signature head cock again.

"Oh, but child, your mother was quite the liar."

"How do you know all this about my mother?-!" Link snaps.

"I'm your grandmother."

Holy Gods above. Are my ears working correctly?-! That is impossible… how…

Link is silent for the longest time, as well as the rest of us.

"This will be a long one, so sit back, you two. A long time ago, before either of you were born, I was a young girl, about the age of seventeen. Link and I- …no, the Hero and I had… our love shown to each other recently, if you catch my drift," She begins.

"We do, we do," I say before Link can ask anything.

"I found out that I was to have a child. Usually, girls would be very happy about that. But me, I was oh so afraid… I was to have an arranged marriage, like many girls in our class. Mine and the Hero's love was to be kept secret. My suitor would have been furious if he knew at that time. So I kept it secret, until Teacher noticed my stomach enlarging. I told him everything. With a sigh, he told me the only way out was to marry him, and not my suitor. He did not want a bastard child on his hands, or the kingdom's for that matter. I met with the Hero again, and told him as well. He took it the same way, agreeing to the marriage. A few days before the marriage… he was killed in a terrible accident. I starved myself. I almost tried to kill the life growing inside of me, to rid myself of his lingering essence. I was a fool, to love a warrior. I was a fool to love a conductor. I am a fool today to love a dead man. Now, listen to me carefully."

We nod, trading looks.

"When I married my suitor, he was a terrible man. He did not want someone else's child in the family to be raised. He believed in purity. Bloodline. Once my daughter was born, we kept her for a while. He told me not to name her; she would be gone in a matter of time. Oh, but I did name her. I named her like every other female in the family, Zelda. We moved into his kingdom, the one near us. We ruled, as husband and wife, until the kingdom was attacked a week later. It fell. We came back to Hyrule, and stayed there, taking over the roles of king and queen. Days went by, and he formulated his plan of getting rid of my daughter. He told me to kill her, or I would be killed. See, even when the wife passes, the husband is still in control. I would not comply. In the middle of the night, the night I was to kill her, I ran. I ran as far as I could, child in tow. I left to find a witch. Why? So she could create fake, deceased baby in my child's image to put in the bed instead. She would be a decoy baby to make husband believe I killed my child. She created the baby from magic and gave it to me. It was so cold… so lifeless. I paid her handsomely and left the place. However, I realized that I could not still keep my own baby. I wept. I wept, and wept, and wept. I had to give her up. I knew a girl, as young as I was, a girl I knew for a long time. Ann. After some convincing, she took the baby for me. I told her to never tell her her existence as a princess. The least she could do, and what I wanted her to do, was teach her… a song. And make sure she teaches it to her own child. And to tell her she was adopted too, of course. She would say her mother was dead. And that would be the end of it. I went back to the castle, with the false baby, and slipped it into my daughter's bed. I placed a pillow over its head to make it look like I killed it. You can guess what happened after that."

"The king found the baby the next day, buried it, and told the kingdom that the child was dead, due to accidentally being smothered in its sleep by laying on its stomach," I say.

"Yes. He thought I killed her. I told him I did. he lied to the kingdom about her death. He got me pregnant with his child, and had another daughter. She grew up, unknowing of her sister's existence. She married a man with brunette hair instead of blonde, and had the twins we have today. They too stayed in Neo Hyrule. It seems my first daughter grew up and had a baby boy, cute as a button may I add."

Link gives the woman a look, but quickly starts to giggle. Being called cute by a former queen is not something you get every day.

"Tell me, child, did your mother ever teach you… a song of sorts?"

"Y-yeah…" He says, fidgeting even more. He really doesn't want to talk about this.

But really now, so all this time, I've been dealing with a… a prince? A descendant of the Hero? This is so much to take in, I-

"Please, sing it to me. Go on."

And he begins, very softly. Just like one the train, I urge him to get louder by providing a little beat. His confidence raises and he sings even louder, the secret song of the land ringing out in the room. When he's finished, he leans back in the chair, staring at his newfound grandmother.

"Wonderful. Tell me, why were you at an orphanage and not with your mother? I would've loved to see you, you know."

"She… she didn't have enough money to care for me. She put me in there. I never saw her again."

"Ah… at least you were brought up well. I suppose the orphanage you were raised at was a good one."

He doesn't speak after that. I urge him to continue, but he only keeps his head down.

"What is wrong, child? Why do you not speak?"

"He doesn't want to. If I could speak for him…"

"Is something wrong with him?" She gets up out of the bed, and wobbles over to a chair. Even she is dressed regally.

"If I tell you, promise not to take it badly."

"Mm… alright…"

"You see, he was dropped off at an orphanage in the Western Segment. We both know how… bad it's gotten, correct?"

"Not my favorite place to be."

"Well, anyway, life was good for him there for the time being. The owner had a wife who was ill all the time. She passed one day, and he went-"

"…Let me explain," Link pipes up. Why? Is he feeling he should be explaining it instead? Someone's growing confidence…

"Sure, child. Go ahead."

"I was young. Eight or so. We were poor. Poorer than dirt. We were robbed countless times. Of course, that's what you get for living in the Western Segment. Mother couldn't take care of me anymore. She cried all the time. I didn't know why at the time. She cried because she had to give me up. We couldn't just go somewhere else, we had nowhere else to go. She raised me alone, father having already passed away when I was three. One day, she put all of her money together and we traveled to the heart of the Western Segment, hearing there was an orphanage nearby. She knocked on the door, hugged and kissed me goodbye, and fled before the door opened. There, there was a young man, a little older than mother. I told him what happened and he guided me in. Told me his name was Lyle. I told him my name, too. He told me he liked the name, it showed courage and kindness in the same breath. I made friends with the other kids there. Lyle told me about his wife, who was terminally ill. She would die soon, but he thought it would be many years before she did. Years passed. When I was almost ten, Lyle's wife died. He went totally mad. He locked himself in his office all day long. Some of the kids ran away. I stayed and tried to comfort him. I was his favorite, I guess. We had no money at the time, either. That meant no food. He got depressed and fell out of his mind. Soon, he needed to get money. How, you ask? He sold us. As "workers". We'd work for a week at a time and come back, the orphanage getting paid. Of course, it wasn't an orphanage anymore. Lyle… he loved money. He realized that once we started to work. Of course, he also noticed how some of us looked, both the girls and the boys. He started to sell us as… something else."

At this time, tears are falling down his face. I sigh and put an arm around him.

"What was that something else, child?" The old woman was worry-stricken.

"Workers that provided a kind of pleasure. He kept us inside all the time. It was dark a lot. He made the place to look like a cart factory to disguise it, saying that the orphanage closed down years ago. And really, it did. People would come in… and…"

"You don't have to say anymore, child. Where is this place?"

"It's in an alleyway of the Western Segment. I don't remember where."

She looks at him for a while, and then turns to me. Hearing this told in great detail bothers me.

"How did you find him, Linebeck?"

"Well… I was out to find workers for my trading post. I went out to the Western Segment, and on my way to the metal works area, I found a little building in an alleyway. I went in, spoke to the man that we now know as Lyle, and requested to see the rest of the place. Down we went into the dark. He told me the pace was a cart factory, but that quickly changed when he started to think I was there to… buy. He brought out a boy, and I think we both know who that was. Somehow, I was convinced that I had to get him out, so I bought him with the money I had. We ran away from there, with Lyle yelling after us. And now, weeks later, we're here."

"How could this happen… my grandson… stolen of his innocence…" The old woman starts to cry out. "You two… I think you two need to leave. I will not tell anyone of this. Get." I think she needs some time to recover.

It's over. The mystery of his past is solved. A princess out to save her child from certain death hides her daughter who grows up in poverty. A boy is brought to an orphanage by a poor mother and is soon damaged by someone he thought to have loved him. The boy is revealed to be a prince in disguise, the product of a bastard child.

I stand to leave the room, with Link behind me.

"It was… nice to see you," I say, walking over to the door.

"It was nice to see you as well. Goodbye, and take good care of my… grandson." She crawls back into the bed and lies there, watching us.

Out we go, out the door. We don't say anything to each other as we head out, meeting with Jos again. He hands me my umbrella and doesn't say anything to me. Out of the castle, in the rain, we walk slowly, with neither of us saying a word. I have a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, like something is going to happen soon. I don't think I need Rae to talk to Link, either. I'd prefer we just let this go. Watching Link as he goes, I realize how princely he acts. His way of talking, his actions. At least we know just who he is now. A fallen prince who had lost his innocence. Mm, that rhymes. Strange.

Further we go, and we're at the station. Further we go, we're on our train, still as silent as ever. The further we go, with Starn not there at all; we reach the station at home.

Inside our home, Link asks if he can sleep for a while. I allow him to, and he retreats to the bedroom. I sit down on the couch, and just allow my mind to wonder if there was a way to prevent all this from even happening. It's strange; one mistake on the job can lead to… all this. It's funny, in a way. It's sad in its own, too.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

* * *

AN: And there we have it, chapter six! Hey, I updated a little quicker this time! Well, see you all in the next chapter!


	7. A Time of Rest

**AN:** What's this?-! I updated quickly again? Jeez! Well, I need to explain something here. First... this chapter gets going on the fluff. It's like a cloud of... fluffiness. Ahem. Two, School is starting back up so... no more quick updates. Bah. And three... Look for the AN at the end of this chapter. I've got a treat for you guys!

-Lyric

* * *

I keep going in circles with my thoughts. I know that what's done is done, but… it's amazing how one tiny mistake, one wrong turn, something where it wasn't supposed to be could lead to what we have today.

I stand from my seat. I've decided to go and check on Link. He's been sleeping more and more lately, and it's starting to scare me. Sure, he could just be tired, but I don't know. I head over towards the bedroom and crack open the door as silently as I can. I find the room to be softly illuminated by the lamp. Seems like he learned how to turn down the gas. He's lying sideways on the bed, his toes barely touching the side. He has the book in hand, reading. He doesn't seem to notice me. I open the door a little wider and walk in, Link still inside the book. I sit myself down on the bed, placing a hand on his back.

This time he jumps a bit from my touch, and looks to the side to stare at me.

"…You scared me," He says, not letting his gaze drop.

"Sorry about that. What happened to sleeping?"

"I tried, but couldn't. So I've been reading," He replies, focusing his attention back on the book. Something about him right now doesn't seem right.

"Alright, alright. You okay?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I'm just asking. You haven't been talking."

He doesn't say anything, and instead licks his lips, trying not to look at anything.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about… your heritage. But I do have one question."

He looks up at me with annoyance flaring in his hazel eyes.

"About what."

"About what happened today at the station, with the ticket booth man."

"…I don't want to talk about it."

"I know you don't. But you need to. It'll help. Besides, you said you would."

He sits up quickly, annoyance turning into slight anger. But then the anger flits away and he returns to a downcast look. Haven't seen that in a while.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"…Okay," He begins with a sigh. "See… he looked like someone that came to the "orphanage" before… and when he spoke, I recognized his voice. Do I need to explain any more?"

"No, that's all I needed." Actually, it isn't. I'll let it slide though.

"Good," He says, and he holds the book up a little. "Um…"

"Yes, I'll read to you. Where are you at?" I say with a small chuckle. Might as well read to him to get his mind off of things. Link points to a paragraph on a page, handing me the book.

"Alright, we'll start there." Link nods and quickly climbs into my lap. Well then, that's unexpected. Even so, I don't mind. I hold the book out in front of both of us and begin.

* * *

"_I finally reached the house she used to live in. Sadie's home was small but warm as can be, especially at times like this. Of course, I didn't expect her to be here. _

_ The memories of us came flooding back, and I had gotten the urge to knock her door, just once. That's what I did. I gave the door the same knock pattern I did when I was young to let her know it was me. I remember back whenever Sadie would rush to the door after hearing our special knock, a smile as wide as can be etched onto her face. She would exclaim, "Abel! Abel's come to play!" _

_I wished I could hear that one more time. Just once. I stood there, my coat flapping in the wind. I frowned a bit and turned back around. I wondered if she was even here to begin with. Suddenly, a voice from nearby made me jump._

"_Abel? Abel, is that you? You've grown so much, Abel!" It wasn't Sadie, to my disappointment. Instead, it was her mother. So their family moved back?_

"_Mary-Ann? Where is Sadie?"_

_She doesn't say anything for a moment, her eyes growing dim._

"_Mary-Ann?-!"_

"_Sadie… she was playing by the lake. On the ice."_

"_But… she can't swim… plus it's frozen over! Is she okay?"_

"_Abel… this happened a week ago." I didn't get what she was saying._

"_W-what do you mean?"_

"_Sadie passed away a week ago. I was going to write your mother but… the post was closed for the rest of the week."_

"_Is this some kind of joke?-!" I started to cry. _

"_Abel, she's gone. Sadie is gone. We never found her body."_

"_B-but I thought… she promised…"_

"_Abel… come inside. We need to talk."_

_I didn't get it. Sadie was dead. I told myself she was gone, but my heart wouldn't listen to my head. I had the strange feeling that she was okay somewhere out there, still smiling. I thought that maybe she got out of the lake. Sadie didn't give up on me. I never did either."_

_

* * *

_

"…That's the end of the chapter, huh," Link says, leaning back into my chest.

"Yeah. Forgot about this chapter," I say as I close the book and put it to the side.

"You've read it before?"

"Mm. That means I know how it ends."

"Did Sadie really die?"

"Can't tell you, it's a secret. You'll have to read for yourself," I say a little teasingly.

"So… she didn't?" He was grinning. Seems like he wants a happy ending.

"Can't say, it'll spoil it for you," I ruffle his hair and continue, "Now c'mon, let's do some work before tomorrow."

"Okay, okay, but tomorrow is Sunday…" He whines a bit, putting emphasis on Sunday. He pushes back into me more. I have to say, the way he's acting is quite… adorable.

"Why can't we do any work before Sunday hits? I always believed that Sunday should be a day where we rest and get ready for Monday, which is a very busy day for the shop, you know."

"Fine then… "Anything to get our minds off of today.

"It's just going to be a little bit of work though. Can you clean the windows and the counters for me?"

"Sure," Link says, moving himself off and stands in front of me. "What're you going to do?"

"You know, sorting things in the backroom, organizing things… that kind of stuff. Once we're done I'll start up dinner. Sound good?"

"I guess." He trudges out of the bedroom and heads for the trading post, where the cleaning supplies last were. I sit up, turn off the lamp and step out of the room, heading for the back room. …Maybe I can get a good look at those photos again. It's a goldmine of our families now. Who knows, maybe I can find some of the eldest princess to show to Link.

In the backroom, I pull the chain above me, turning on the light. Like before, there's dust everywhere, flying around in the light. Good thing neither of us have any breathing troubles, or we'd be in trouble. Being careful as to not make a lot of noise, I slowly bring down the box from a shelf and place it on the floor. I sit down and start searching.

There's a lot of my great-great grandfather and the first Hero in here. Not what I'm looking for. I find more photos of me, Gramps, and… what's this?

Plucking the photo out, I see something very unearthly. It's like a light… a figure. Is this a spirit? Did one of the Heroes capture a spirit on film? Judging by the photo, it's a bit old. And to my surprise… it looks a lot like the old woman when she was still young. The former princess of long ago. But… why… is this some kind of joke? This can't be real… can it? I put the photo down, trying not to think about what I just saw.

Before I can begin looking again, a voice calls out.

"…I can't find the cleaning solution! I thought you left it under the counter!"

I sigh and yell back, "Where are you?"

"Trading Post!"

"Go check the-"

"Never mind, found it!"

"Okay, good!"

Jeez, kid.

I search around a bit more and find something else that catches my eye. It's a wedding photo of the old woman and her husband. The man in this photo looks like he could rule a country with an iron fist, while his wife looks a tad afraid of the man next to him. There is no baby in this photo. Wonder why. I put this one to the side, figuring I could show it to Link.

There's nothing much else in here. Maybe I can give the other objects here a look?

Besides the usual trinkets, there are old bottles, a boomerang… and some cloth folded and tucked away on a shelf. I had completely forgotten about this. It's the outfit that the recruits wear now, but was also the outfit of the Heroes of old. It was kept by Gramps as a way to remember the younger one. Everything is there, except for a pair of boots. I have a strange idea forming. I wonder how similar my Link will look to the other two? Grinning a bit, I bring down the clothing carefully as not to not rip the tights. Huh. The tights are cleaner than I thought they would be, being pure white. The belt buckle has a good shine to it, too. Let's see what he thinks about this.

Together with the photo, I make my way out of the back room, turning off the light as I go. I find Link in the general store, cleaning the windows. This is… déjà vu. And lots of it.

Getting closer to him I say, "Hey, Link. Look at this." Yet again, my voice makes him jump.

"O-oh… what?" He responds, turning to face me. For some odd reason, the front of his shirt is soaked. "Don't worry about the shirt, I tripped and got some stuff on me. …Are those clothes?" He cocks his head a bit.

"Mm. They are. I haven't told you about this yet, but Gramps kept an old recruit's outfit to remember the Hero by."

"Do you want me to try them on or something?" Can he read minds or something?

"Actually, yes. I'm just curious. They look like they'll fit you."

"Okay… I kinda want to see too," he replies, pulling off his shirt. I hand him the outfit before turning around to allow him to dress. However, I did catch a glimpse of the scars again. I wonder if they ever hurt him at all.

After a few minutes, he says softly, "Okay. I'm dressed now."

I turn around and… I'm struck speechless. It's uncanny. He's like a living pictograph. It scares me. He even got the hat on right.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing… you just… you just look so alike to the late Heroes."

"Do I really?" He starts to look at himself, moving his arms about.

"Yes. You have a strong resemblance to them… but this just makes the cake."

"Oh please, don't start talking about food."

"You're that hungry?"

He giggles before replying, "Well… yeah. Course I am. But do I really look like them right now?"

"Yes, you do."

"In that case…" He drops all emotion before coming back with a determined look on his face, swinging his arm about. An imaginary sword maybe? He starts thrusting his "sword" around, making a few quick yelps and grunts as he does so. I can't hold in my laughter at all, seeing how I'm just doubled-over at the moment. This is just way too priceless! By now he's laughing too.

"Really now? What's next, a bow and arrow?"

He nods and goes into the stance one would to fire an arrow.

"Better move if ya don't wanna die!" He says through giggles. "Too late!" He "fires" and I jump out of the way.

"Aw… I missed!"

"You don't want to shoot your teacher now, do you?"

"Maybe… but your little apprentice has something up his sleeve!" I do wonder what he's talking about. He runs to the backroom and comes back out with… a broom? Really now?

He grins widely and goes for a straight run with the end of the broom out in front of him, screaming a bit. He stops right in front of me and lightly jabs my stomach.

"Now you're dead. I win," He replies, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, how unfortunate. I don't have a prize for you."

"There's something in your hand though. Is that a pictograph?"

"Um, yes. I found it in the backroom."

"Lemme see?" He says, adjusting his cap, holding the broom like a staff or a walking stick. I'm feeling some serious déjà vu. Again.

"Sure," I reply, handing over the pictograph. "It seems to be your grandmother on her wedding day. There's no baby in it, surprisingly."

Link cocks his head at the photo, studying it. His eyes flit over the thing like he's reading something on the front.

"She looks scared," He says, handing back the pictograph.

"That's what I thought. She didn't deserve what she got handed to her, that's for sure."

"At least mother wasn't really killed."

"Mm. Then you wouldn't be here. And quite frankly, I enjoy having you around, squirt." Oh jeez… I'm using Gramps' way of talking. Not good.

"…Squirt?"

"Heh heh… that's what Gramps used to call the younger Hero whenever he was around. That and monkey. Don't know where that one came from, though."

"So… nicknames?"

"Yeah. He used them a lot. Same as his granddad. Told me that when he was younger, the first Hero would come over to the trading post once in a while to visit. Even then, great-great granddad would still call him the usual names."

"Sounds like some kind of bonding thing," He says with a little bit of an upwards inflation.

"In a way, it was. What, do you want nicknames now?"

"Well, you tend to call me "kid" and "apprentice" when addressing me to people."

"Ah. Well, I did just call you squirt… thing is, these things come out randomly. It'll happen soon."

"Fine then."

"Now please put away the broom, don't want anything broken in here. Take your clothes to the bedroom too."

"Okay, okay, teacher." He grins again, picking up his discarded clothes in one hand, the broom in the other.

"Alright, squirt." He busts out laughing as he heads for the backroom. I'm loving how cheerful he can be. When he gets into it, he's quite hyper. I miss being a child.

After a few minutes, he finishes putting his things away and goes right back to the washing.

I go up to him and say, "I wouldn't start that now, you might get your clothes wet again. I don't want these ruined. It's clean enough. Just start stocking inventory while I start dinner, okay?"

He agrees and heads to the backroom, lugging out a large box filled who knows what. I can't see the label at all. Meanwhile, I put the cleaning supplies away under the counter, where they should be. I don't know how they got misplaced before, but I don't care much though. I find the pictograph from earlier today and place the one I have on top of it.

Link starts to look for something to stand on, judging how he just pulled a jar from the box. He puts the jar down and sprints to the kitchen. What on Earth is he doing? I hear a scraping sound coming from the kitchen, like someone is pulling something along.

He comes back, pushing a chair in front of him. I see what he's going to do now. As long as he doesn't fall, he'll be fine. I nod at him before heading to the kitchen myself, getting the usual pot and knife out. Soup tonight, I guess. I fill the pot with water and set it on the burner, letting it sit as I go for the icebox. I pull out carrots, celery, and other various vegetables. No meat tonight. I put these down and start to chop, when I hear a quick yelp and a thud. Did he just fall? I quickly put the knife down, turn off the stove and rush to the general store area and see a little ball of green next to the chair. There's a broken jar next to him. It's an empty one, though.

"Are you alright?" I ask as I kneel down next to him.

"Y-yeah… just fell, th-that's all," he replies with a hint of pain, trying to stand, but just sits back down.

"Hold on, do you feel like there's anything stabbing you right now?" He did fall and land next to broken glass, so he could have something serious.

"No… I don't… but my hand hurts…"

"What happened?" I ask, still kneeling. I hope there's nothing on him, even the tiniest shards can be dangerous.

"I slipped and f-fell when I was putting away a jar…"

"What landed first? You or the jar?"

"Th-the jar…" He replies, not trying to move his hand. I think he might have something in there after all.

"So you fell near the already broken glass… show me your hand."

"It really hurts…" He says, putting up his hand. I reach for it but Link jerks back, saying, "D-don't touch it!"

"I have to, I need to see. I'm not going to try and hurt you, alright? Now give me your hand."

He nods slowly and holds out his hand. Inspecting it, I say, "Yep, you've got something there. Don't worry, the shard isn't that big. It'll be easy to get it out. I promise."

"Are we g-going to use tweezers?"

"Nah. I know a better way."

"What is it?" He does that silly head cock again. I swear, it's his trademark reaction.

"You'll see," I say, standing up. Link follows, staring at his hand. I lead him to the kitchen and sit him down on one of the remaining chairs. I go into the cabinet and reach for the bottle of olive oil. Taking it, I go over to Link, who's trying not to look at his hand.

"Alright, hold out your hand." I unscrew the cap and place it on the table. Link complies and shoves his hand out, staring at the bottle.

"How's that going to work?"

"You'll see. And no, it isn't going to hurt." I pour a bit of the oil in my hand and take Link's hand in mine.

"I still don't-"

"Just let me do my work. You'll see what I'm going to do, alright?"

"O-okay…"

I begin to massage the area where I saw the small shard poking through. Link jumps back a bit, I assume he's feeling pressure where the glass is. I keep going, not saying anything to his little jumps. A few minutes of this and I back away.

"Is it out?" He asks, looking at his hand.

"We have to wash off your hand now to make sure." He nods and jumps off the chair, heading over to the sink. He turns on the faucet, but I intervene before he starts.

"Hold on, hold on. I have to wash it. I have to make sure it's out, alright?" I know he wants to do it himself, but there's always that "what if" hanging in the air.

"Fine…" I grab his hand and put it under the water, being careful not to hit the place where the tiny shard was too hard. After washing it for a good while, I turn off the water and bring a towel to his hand.

"Alright, let's see if we got it out…" I look over his hand, and smile. "It's out. See? Wasn't too hard, huh?"

"No, not really… thanks."

"Anytime, squirt." He giggles a bit. I go over to the table and put the cap back on the olive oil and put it away. "Stay here. I'm going to go clean up the glass, okay?"

"Sure. Can I finish the… um…"

"Soup? If you want. Do you know how?"

"Course I do."

"Alright. Just don't use that hand for a bit." I turn to head out of the kitchen and back out to the general store, where the glass is still scattered on the floor near the chair. I carefully pick up and move the chair out of the way. Making my way over to the backroom, I spy the pictographs again and pick them up. It's funny really, in one we have a happy moment, the other a scared one. Sighing, I take them to the backroom and place them in the box. I take out the broom and a dust pan and walk back out, hearing the water boiling. I'm just glad he didn't injure himself too badly; there are some pretty big shards here. I bend down and start to push the shards in. With the bigger shards in the pan, I toss these into the little wastebasket by the counter. I'm not finished yet.

I head back to the kitchen, seeing Link chopping the vegetables I laid out earlier. It's funny. I'm letting an eleven-year -old use a sharp knife. And stack glass bottles. I must be a bad guardian, eh? Ah, but I trust him. He hasn't hurt himself yet… well, not much. As long as he doesn't chop a finger off- wait. I said that earlier about him falling. He won't chop his fingers off now, will he? I'm only kidding myself, of course he won't.

Link looks back to glance at me, asking, "You done?"

"Nah, just came in here to grab a towel," I reply, picking up the towel I used on Link's hand earlier and wetting it.

"Ah. Well, it's just simmering now. It'll be ready soon."

"Good. I'll be back to check in."

"Got'cha." He turns back to his work, and I do the same. Before I can head out though, Link speaks up.

"Linebeck?" What's on his mind now?

"Mm?"

"I was just wondering… about that Millie girl."

"You were?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what's on your mind?"

"Think we can visit soon?" He wants to visit now? Since when?

"I wish we could, I really do, but we're a little low on funds. Once the shop picks up a bit, we'll go. Besides, tomorrow is a Sunday, after all."

"Right…" He replies with a deflated tone.

"Anyway, if you need me, I'll be cleaning up the last of the glass, okay?" I again turn to leave, towel in hand. Link goes back to his work, and so do I.

Getting to the rest of the glass, I carefully swipe the wet towel on it, picking up the rest of the glass. I'm going to have to throw it away now, unfortunately. Don't want our clothes getting glass in them. I head over to the little waste basket and put the towel in. With the cleaning done, I grab the chair and take it back into the kitchen, putting it in its place around the table. There are already bowls filled and spoons out.

"You done?" Link asks, not turning to look at me.

"Yep. It's safe to walk out there, just don't do it barefoot."

"Got'cha. Soup's done, got it all out."

"Good. Seems like you've already gotten the table set."

"…I don't want to make you do all the work." What's that supposed to mean?

"But you don't."

"Okay then… might as well eat now." He doesn't sound so good. Is there something wrong with him?

We sit down at the table to eat, the quiet really getting to me. There has to be something on his mind.

We eat in silence.

After dinner, Link stands and takes both the bowls to the sink, and just stands there. He still doesn't look right.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine. Must be the rain getting me down." I don't think it's the rain.

"Might be." I automatically go to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But if you have anything on your mind, you can talk about it to me. I won't say anything about it."

Link brushes my hand off and says, "It's nothing. It's just…" He lets the words trail off.

"Just what?"

"Everything. It's just really hard to take in. I just never thought I was special. First I learn that I look like two kids from a long time ago that apparently saved the world or something, and then I find out I'm actually related to them! And then just to make it better, I find out mother was supposed to be a princess or something but got that role taken away from her because of her step-dad!" That's one way to put it.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing… Even though it is…"

"And it is, Linebeck! It is! I could be some kid in a castle, not allowed to go outside or do anything, but instead… instead… instead I became something to be used by perverts and sickos!" Every word he says flares with more intensity than the last. His eyes are filling up with tears, but he tries to hold them in.

"Are you crying?"

"No, I'm not crying! Little kids cry!" But he is a little kid. At least, on the outside. I try to calm him some, putting my arms around him. He quickly puts his face into my chest and lets loose. Sigh… quite a handful. As always in these situations, I rock him back and forth.

"I'm n-not a little k-kid!" He moans, "I'm not… a little… k-kid…"

"Shh… you're not a little kid. Haven't I already told you this before?"

I don't get a response from him, just a lot of sobs. I don't know what's gotten into him, but it's not good. After a while, he comes back.

"…Y-you think I'm a little kid th-though…" Well then.

"I don't. I've told you before, you're not."

"…I must s-sound like a big b-baby right now, huh."

"No, you don't. It's okay to cry."

"It's not okay for boys to cry…" He parts from me, almost wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Instead, he uses his hands.

"It's perfectly okay for boys to cry, especially ones of your age," I reply, putting emphasis on perfectly okay. I need him to understand that. Sure, he cries a lot, I've gotten used to that. But it's still okay.

"I know, I know. It's just… nah. C-can I just go to bed?" Well, wasn't that a topic changer?

"Um, sure. It's getting late, I'm heading in too. Once you change, fold these nicely, okay?"

"Fine." He takes off for the bedroom and shuts the door. I think he just needs sleep. Badly. There's a lot of times now where he wakes up from a nightmare. Maybe tonight that'll change. I do sometimes wonder what goes on in that head of his. But, I don't think I want to know. But I do want to help as much as I can.

After a few minutes, I go over to the door and knock a few times.

"Come in," He pipes up. I open the door and walk in, seeing that he's reading the book, the recruit outfit on the nightstand. It's folded… not that well. I don't mind too much, though.

"Reading again?"

"…Yeah."

"Well, you need to get some rest. Find a stopping point before I finish changing," I say as I open the dresser and pull out my night-clothes. "Besides, tomorrow's going to be busy, with all the preparing we'll be doing. Shop keepers just never get breaks, eh?"

"Nah, we don't," Link comments with a more cheery tone. I think he's calmed down nicely.

"Agreed. Alright, go find that stopping point." I stand and make my way towards the bathroom, opening the door and closing it behind me. It's funny, we're both men and yet we still can't change in front of each other. That says something.

* * *

I finish changing and head back out. The room is already dark, to my displeasure. Why did he turn out the lights before I was finished? I start to feel my way around the room, almost tripping some. I can hear tiny giggles. He planned this, didn't he? I make it to the bed in one piece, getting in on my side.

"You awake?" I say, turning to face him. I can see his eyes shining a bit in the dark.

"Maybe…"

"Next time, shut off the light after I come in, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"G'night." And that's the last I hear from him. The only thing I can hear now is the sound of rain falling onto the roof and his deep breaths. I turn over and try to fall asleep myself. I envy him some, being able to fall asleep so quickly. I still have strange feelings about tomorrow. I feel something is going to happen. Something big. Maybe its nothing. I close my eyes, trying not to think too much.

I do know it's going to be busy tomorrow but… how busy will it get?

* * *

**AN:** Well, I did say you guys get a treat. Two actually. One: I'm thinking of writing... a prequel! Yep! It'll mostly go about the first Zelda's marriage problem, and explain "Rose's" life a bit. Basically, it's more in-depth look on the two lovely ladies. I'm thinking about it, that means I haven't gotten to writing it yet, though. Suggestions are nice, go ahead and make them. Once Speak is finished, we'll try this one on for size.

Don't leave yet! I have something else! Two: Recently, I've been messing around, listening to music. I think I found a song for Speak. Whew boy... okay. First, it's a Vocaloid song re-dubed in english by the wonderful madokaueno, Bazupanda and sukebe of NicoVideo. The lyrics are in the description of the video, don't forget. Song is Alice. Yes, just Alice. Not Alice Human Sacrifice. Anyway, give it a listen. There are other versions of the song floating around, try them too.

watch?v=ODBBE0r0gf0&feature=related

I can't post the whole link, so just go to YouTube and paste this.

See you all in the next chapter!

-Lyric


	8. Unexpected Return

AN: Sorry for the wait, guys. As always, I blame school for my lack of updates.

* * *

I awake the next morning to the sound of running water. Shaking my head, failing to get rid of my grogginess, I realize that the sound is coming from the bathroom. Seems like Link has gotten up before me. Again. Just as I'm about to get up and out of bed, a flash of light from the window next to me illuminates the room for a second and leaves the room in the same mild darkness from before. A lightning storm is coming, and Link is in the shower. Did he not see anything before he went in? He could get seriously hurt if he doesn't hurry.

Getting out of the bed, I feel my way over to the door, bumping into the dresser in the process. Holding in a rather unpleasant outburst, I make my way to the door. The water stops. Strange. Before I can even knock, the door creaks open and scares me half to death. Link is in the doorway, wide-eyed, and… nothing is covering him. I perform a face palm as he gasps. What a wonderful way to start the morning.

"…Can you tell me why you're naked?" I ask in annoyance, my hand still over my face.

"I took a shower," He answers flatly. An obvious answer is not exactly what I wanted. He starts to back away and hide behind the door. I really don't care about what I'm… seeing here. I really don't.

"Okay, but where's your towel?"

"…There weren't any." Oh. I didn't replace them last night… whoops.

I furrow my brow as I ask, "There weren't any? You sure?"

"Yeah. I checked."

"Well for one, you could've said something. And two, don't you know it's dangerous to bathe during a lightning storm?"

He does that little head cock, the one that he's grown quite fond of, and replies innocently, "No, I didn't know that. How?"

This is a strange series of events: I'm talking to a bare eleven or something year-old about the dangers of lightning. How's that for weirdness?

"Well, the pipes are made of metal. Lightning is attracted to metal. So when it hits, it tries to go for the nearest source, and that could've been the shower, and you with it."

"S-seriously?-!" I wouldn't think him to be this dense about common sense.

"I'm not lying here. You could've gotten hurt," I say before heading over to the hamper that contained the clean towels next the bed. "Here, dry yourself off before you come out." I hand him the towel and he instantly wraps himself in it. I hate to admit it but… I finally just got a good look at the scars. They're pretty much everywhere on him, mostly the chest, shoulders, and lower body. I wonder what, and who caused them still.

"Sorry about that. …There are towels in there too?"

"Mm. Clean ones. Once we wash them, I put them in there before putting them in the bathroom. It's a weird system I know, but that's how I've been doing it. Unfortunately, I tend to forget to replace them."

"I can see that," He comments, running the towel through his hair. It's getting longer, to the point where it gets in his face. Wonder if we should cut it.

"It happens. Alright, get yourself dressed. We have a busy day today," I add before turning away, digging into the dresser for something for Link to wear.

"I wouldn't call stocking inventory busy," He replies, straightening his towel.

"But we didn't get much done last night, hm? We still need to stock the rest of the items in the backroom… wash… and other things…"

"Alright, alright, I get it. We still have work to do. Have something yet?"

"Blue shirt, dark jeans?" I ask, holding them out without looking behind.

"I don't care, that'll do," I hear a pitter-patter and the clothes are taken from my hand. I start to turn but get a good no from him. Figures. He's always been very protective of his body. I can see why, but this is just a tad ridiculous.

I hear clothes flapping and a zipper or two for a few moments before I get a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to look at him, his hair pressed to his forehead and a little to his face. His shoulders are slightly damp from the water dripping from his hair. Shaking my head, I stand and grab the towel he dropped, putting it over his head.

"H-hey!" Link says through annoyance.

"Well, you need to dry your hair better, you're getting yourself wet," I reply, fluffing the towel on his head and squeezing the ends of his bright hair. He really needs to keep it short.

"How young do you think I am? I can do this myself," He retorts, crossing his arms and doing a little pout.

"You do a bad job of it. There, you're done." I remove the towel and place it in the unwashed clothes hamper, picking up his discarded clothes from the other day. I put these in the hamper too, looking over to Link as he stretches himself out.

"I don't see why you had to do that…"

"I just don't want your clothes to be wet and have you shivering."

"It's not like I'll get sick or anything."

"I'm just surprised you haven't gotten sick yet. The rain used to do a number on me when I was lit- your age." I almost used the word little. Nice save, perhaps?

"Really? Well… what if I did get sick?" Is he going to try faking? The way he sounds just makes me wonder.

"Well first of all, I wouldn't make you do a ton of work, but you'd still be doing some. It depends on how serious you get. Anything more than the shivers and a runny nose and you're bedridden," I explain, looking up in thought, "Then I'd have you take a… not exactly pleasant tasting mixture to help the whatever you had down." I twitch a bit, remembering the last time I choked down the red stuff when I was younger.

"Oh. And what's this mixture called?"

"Most refer to it as red potion, after the stuff the Heroes drank to cure themselves of injury and sickness in battle. Now it's just used as a medicine. And trust me, it's terrible."

"You've taken it before?"

I chuckle a bit before replying, "Course I have. Anyone who gets sick does. Better not get sick on me now if you don't want to take that stuff."

"Oh, I wo-" His reply is interrupted by a sneeze. Should've seen this coming.

"Oh dear."

"What? I just sneezed. Something wrong?"

"N-nothing. Just jumping to conclusions."

"Okay… I'm not sick, I just sneezed. That's it." I'm going to check him out later to verify that.

"Alright, alright. I'm going to go check the mailbox."

"Aw, that's my job," Link replies with a fake pout. "Besides, you're gonna get hit by lighting or somethin'."

I let out a laugh before saying, "Not if I'm careful. The mailbox isn't metal, so I'll be fine."

"Okay… anything you want me to do?"

"Nah, just stay inside while I go check."

"Kay." Link turns and heads out of the bedroom while I go for the dresser, looking for something to wear. Pulling out the usual, I head into the bathroom and dress there, catching my reflection in the mirror. I look a little different. Something about my eyes. Stress maybe? That has to be it. Stress. I shake my head and start to dress. Am I really that stressed? I've been getting enough sleep, but that can't be the case.

I finish dressing and go out into the living room, seeing that Link is on the couch yawning and rubbing his eyes. He quickly covers his mouth as if he said something rude to me, and sneezes yet again. I'm doubting if he's really all that healthy today.

"Sneezed again. Sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not coughing or anything over here, so I'm not sick."

"Just checking. Alright, I'm going out."

I turn to head to the front door, grabbing my coat and putting on my boots before I head outside into building storm. There's already a good wind, and the sky is getting darker. A little rain is falling as well, and I run to the mailbox, coat pulled together. I open the red box and see a few letters, some merely ads and one from my sister. Looks promising. I close the hatch just asa bolt of lightning shoots across the sky. I look to the house, and I see Link at the window, staring at me. He's making gestures for me to hurry up and get inside, and that's what I plan to do.

Tucking the letters into my coat, I make a straight run to the house, the wind getting to my face and making it hard to breathe at points. I finally get to the house and open the door just as a another flash goes across the sky. How bad is this going to get?

"See? No worries, got the letters," I say, taking off my coat and hanging it up as I walk into the house, holding the letters out. Link comes up to me and stares at them, as if he's reading them through the envelopes.

"We going to open them?" He asks, wonder etched onto his face.

"Of course we are. Most of these are just ads though, the only really important one is the one from Rae. "

"Rae?-! …She sent you a letter?" He questions, an index finger up to his cheek.

"Yep. Who knows what it could be…" I start to tease, giving off a small smile.

"Gah, just open it already!"

"Fine, fine." I start to tear open the envelope, pulling out the thin letter. It's not that long.

"Read it to me?" Link asks, his eyes lighting up a bit. I thought he didn't like my sister too much.

"Sure thing," I say, and begin to read my sister's letter:

"_Dear brother, Linebeck V_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? Are you faring well? Got any good traders in? Ah, too many questions! Don't worry, I've been doing well. Actually, I got curious a couple days ago and scoped out the alleys of the Western Segment. Well, the ones that were the closest to the station at least. You're right, there's a good sized building at the end of one of them. I didn't go in, but what I did do was something… amazing. Being a sneak, I snuck up to one of the windows and looked in. What'd I see? A tallish man with short black hair sitting at a desk. He didn't look too good, having his face in his hands. I wonder who that was. And then, just as I was about to turn away, a little girl came in, looked about thirteen or so. Her clothes were dirtied, but not that much. She was crying too. But the man at the desk, he just yelled at her. I didn't get to hear it, but the little girl got so scared… she turned around and ran for the door. Poor thing. Then the man reached down for something and pulled out something silver. I don't know if you've seen these around much, since only the higher-ups have them, but the guy had a pistol. Dead serious. You better watch yourself the next time you go down there, I wouldn't like to see you get hurt or anything. _

_Speaking of kids, how's Kael? You know, the short kid? He's opened up a lot to you, eh? Mr. adoptive daddy. Hah! You, a father! …You'd make a great dad but, I just don't see it right now. Same goes for me, but I don't want a little pup running around the place 24/7. I'm just not in the mood to be a mother quite yet. Ah well. Write back as soon as you get this, I'm waiting for your reply, big brother!_

_ Sincerely, your sister, Rae"_

"Well, that was interesting," I say as I pocket the letter. I can't believe she actually snuck around that place. She could've gotten hurt.

"She went there… why…" Link starts, his head pointing down. "Doesn't she know it's not a place for people like her to be at?"

"She's just looking out for you. And what kind of people are we talking about here?"

"People who still hold some innocence. People who don't see others as objects."

I scratch the back of my head in realization as I reply, "Ah. You're right, she's one of the better ones."

"And so are you." Didn't expect that one.

"Really now?"

"Yeah. You treat others with respect, no matter how young or old they are. You make sure others are okay and happy. Basically, you're one of the few people I actually like. And that's saying something."

"Hah, then I guess I like you too, squirt." He cocks his head once again, giving me a small grin.

"Gee, thanks," He says sarcastically.

"Welcome. Alright, let's put ourselves to work. You can stock today. But no using chairs."

"Got'cha." Don't want a repeat of yesterday.

"By the way, how's your hand?" I ask, pointing.

"Oh, it's okay. We should've put something on it. All I see is a small red mark though."

"As long as it's clean, you're fine."

Right after I reply, he sneezes again, this time with three in succession. Sighing, I get closer to him and put a hand on his forehead.

Link moves back and blurts out, "Hey, what're you doing?"

"Checking how warm you are," I respond, moving my hand around. He's starting to look a little flushed.

"I told you, I'm not sick. I might have a cold or something, but I'm not sick."

"I don't know, you're pretty warm to me," I say, moving to his cheeks and finally taking my hands off and putting them to my side. "Sure you're okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. …Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead." Wonder what he's up to now.

"…Rae said something about you being a dad. And well…"

"Well what?"

"Do you consider me more than just your apprentice?" Oh boy.

"In some ways, yes. I care for you, listen to you."

"So… am I your kid just yet?" Well, I was expecting this one.

"Between us, I guess. But legally, no."

"But… she dumped me off, and you took me in… so…"

"That may be true, but I'm not talking about your mother. She is your mother physically, but in this case, not legally. Technically, your legal guardian is still Lyle." I hate to say it, but it's true. I paid for him, yes, but there were no signing of papers involved. I hate to see the look on his face, a look of fear and ache.

"But… you paid for me… Linebeck…" He replies softly, getting slower as he progresses.

"I did. But a legal adoption consists of signing papers, contacting people and the like. But there's no way to settle it, so forget about it, okay?" I say, stepping back a bit. I know what he's thinking, what he wants. All his life, he probably wanted someone to call father, and he never got it until now. Now that he has, he can't even do that. It upsets him, I know.

"…Can I still call you papa?" …How am I supposed to answer to that?

After a few moments, I take in a deep breath before I reveal my answer.

"…Sure." With that, he smiles and runs off to the backroom, probably getting boxes out to stock. Maybe someday I can actually take him in legally. Till then, he's just my apprentice.

Out comes Link carrying a box, this time full of craft supplies and string. That goes on the bottom shelf. He puts the box down with a thud, bending down to pick up a bundle of string. He places it the little wicker box the rest of the string was held in, then quickly bringing his hand to his face as he stopped a sneeze.

Shaking my head, I go over to him, and he already knows why, I presume.

"No, I'm not sick."

"You keep sneezing."

"But-"

"Look, why else would you be sneezing? You're warm too. You were probably out in the rain too long."

"But so were you," Link points out, cocking his head once more.

"True, but maybe you just have a poor immune system." That might explain it…

Link's brow furrows as he says, "Immune what?"

"Immune system. Basically, it's the part of your body that fights disease and infection."

"Ah. So I just get sick easily?"

"Maybe. Then again, you're younger than me. You would get sicker. It's part of being a kid, I suppose."

He lets out a "pfft" sound before commenting, "Then being a kid stinks."

"I'd like to go back to being one, didn't have to worry too much about work, money and the like."

"…Yeah." Something I said? Link turns and goes back to putting the string away. I decide not to say anything more, going over to the counter. Might as well write Rae back. I reach for some paper and ink a pen before I write:

_Dear Rae,_

_I've been doing well, the little guy has been talking much more. I have so much to tell you. For one, it's not Kael anymore. Turns out his name is Link. We went to the castle yesterday too, to find out why he knew the Earth God's Lyric. Get this. He's related to the royal family. His grandmother is the one who went on the quest to save Neo Hyrule with the Hero. See, you remember the news about the royal child's death years ago? That was a lie created by the former king The royal children are his cousins. It's a long story, I'm afraid I'll have to explain it to you later. Anyway, why did you go to that part of the Western Segment? You know how dangerous it is. Don't go there and tell me that I shouldn't go, you know that you shouldn't either. …A pistol? We'll be careful, don't worry. This is all I'm able to write, I'm afraid. I hope to see you soon._

_ -Linebeck V_

Finished, I fold the paper up and slip it into an envelope, this one decked out with the shop's logo and other things. Basically, a business envelope. I write the address of who's it to on the front, and lay it out on the counter. I'm not risking going outside for a while. …On second thought, I should. I'll see her faster.

Leaning on the counter I direct my focus onto Link, who's now placing bags of flour on a shelf above him. Judging by the way he's hefting them up, they're the heavier ones.

"Hey, Link?"

He turns his head, sliding the bag in before bending over to grab another one. "Yeah?"

"I'm going outside to put a letter in the mailbox." he gives me a look that just says "are you serious?". I don't blame him, after fighting that wind out there last time, he would think me to be crazy going out there again.

"You're going to hurt yourself out there, you sure?" Since when was he the guardian?

"I won't, I won't. I just have to slip this letter in, that's all."

"It's to Rae, right?" He adds with a smirk. He knows, great.

"Yep."

"So that's why you want to deliver it so quickly." Link looks away from me as he shoves another bag up on the shelf above him.

"Perhaps. Anyway, I'll only be out for a few," I say as I head to the front door, putting my coat on again before opening the door, seeing that storm had died down a little. There isn't much lightning now, but there's still that constant rain. "Hey, storm's dying down."

"Really? When do you think it'll stop?" I can't be standing with the door open too long, the floor's going to get wet.

"I don't know, a few more hours I suppose. It was already here since this morning. I'll be right back." And I'm out the door.

The wind isn't that strong, but the rain makes me slip the letter inside my coat, my right hand holding it together as I run for the mailbox. As I look behind me, Link isn't in the window, but I can see him running around, putting things away.

Outside, it's dark and wet, not to mention cold and uninviting. I'd hate to be out in this weather for a long time.

I make it to the mailbox and open it up, slipping the letter in. …Something doesn't feel right to me out here. I don't know, it's like… it's like someone else is out here. The feeling that one gets when they feel they're being watched. I don't like it.

Done, I try going a little quicker, the feeling of someone staring me down behind me is creeping me out. It has to be the shoddy weather. It just has to be.

Back to the house, Link is still busy putting the last of the canned… I don't know, all I can see is a can. I open the door, and he stops to look at me.

"And you're back. …You okay?" Link questions, pointing out my confused look. I'm still feeling funny about the supposed watching. I won't tell him about it though, I don't need him getting scared.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just the rain is all." With that, I change the subject on him. "How much left to shelve?"

Link puts a finger to his cheek in thought, and comes back with, "Nothing else really, a few jars and stuff." Stuff he can't reach. I've learned not to let him use a stool or a chair without me in the room.

"Alright then, I'll do the rest. I would have us do laundry now, but we have nowhere to put it out to dry." I go over to the counter again, placing my head in my hand. "This rain is really starting to get on my nerves, let me tell you," I say with a sigh.

"Heh heh." And why is he laughing?

"Hm?"

"You're the one who always told me to stop complaining, and look at you."

"I'm not complaining," I retort as I raise my head, "I'm just saying that we can't do much work if this doesn't let up."

"Well, I'm fine with wearing dirty clothes," Link responds, going up to the counter. It's funny; he looks like a normal customer, the way he's in front of the counter like that.

"You shouldn't be. But we have to do it; the rain isn't going to let up any time soon."

"Bet'cha we're gonna get flooded." Link leans on the counter, head down.

I laugh a little at his comment before saying, "Nah, we'll be fine. …Just don't go outside for a bit, alright?" I said that for two reasons. One, the storm's still there. And two… that feeling. Is there someone really out there? I don't want Link out there, with the sickening feeling in my stomach I got from being outside.

"I won't, promise." After that, he quickly brings his hand to his face to block another sneeze. "…Okay… I might be getting a tiny bit sick."

"Told you." I reach out a hand and feel his forehead again, still warmer than he should be. I can't afford him being sick, tomorrow is our busiest day. "Yep… still warm. Does your throat hurt at all?"

"A little…" Guess who gets to take red potion.

I sigh before replying, "Sorry but… you're going to have to take the red potion."

His eyes get wide like palace dishes. "But that stuff sounds nasty!"

"Do you want to stay sick?" Come to think of it, I'm probably going to catch whatever he has soon enough.

"N-no…" I remove my hand from him, and he stands up, a worried expression coming onto him.

"Then you have to take it. It won't be a lot, promise."

"Okay… I'd rather not take it…" He admits, crossing his arms a bit.

"You have to. It's in the kitchen. After you take it, we'll start up breakfast, okay?" I go around the counter, standing in front of him. He really doesn't look too good; his face flushed a gentle crimson.

"Fine, I'll take it. If I start retching though, get me to the sink. Quickly." I don't know if he's trying to be funny or dead serious. Weird.

"Don't worry, you won't. It's not that bad." I hate lying to him, but whatever works. I start for the kitchen, walking a little slow. "Coming?"

"Y-yeah." Link sneezes again, this time with two in succession. His pitter-patters get close and I know he's next to me when we reach the kitchen. Looking outside through the window still gives me that weird feeling. I don't like it.

Directing my attention to something that actually needs it right now I suggest to him, "Well, we'd better get started, huh. Sit down, I'll get it out." With that, I go over to the cabinet and fish out a bottle of the red stuff, covered with the traditional cork. I have a few of these things, surprisingly. I pull it out, and it creates a popping noise that makes Link jump a bit.

Going over to him, I hold out the opened bottle to him, ordering a simple, "Drink."

Link merely stares at the thing, licking his lips. I urge the bottle towards him and he finally takes it with mildly shaking hands. I know how he feels, but it's just medicine.

Once his hands wrap around the bottle, I release it and stand back, watching as he examines the bottle, even smelling the contents. Judging by how he leaned back with a sickened look on his face, it didn't smell too good.

"…Do I have to?" He asks with a voice that's a half whisper.

Frowning a bit, I answer him, "Yes. It'll make you feel better."

His eyes flutter down to the bottle, and he slowly brings it to his mouth, the neck of it barely touching his lips. Finally, he shuts his eyes tightly and takes it in quickly, a disgusted look replacing the worried one. He puts the bottle down, seeing there's a little bit of it left. He doesn't take it, instead he runs to the sink and fishes out a cup, filling it with water, and downing it like he hasn't drank in days.

"I told you it wasn't that bad," I say in between his gulping.

Link places the cup in the sink and turns around, retorting with, "But it was. I felt like I was going to lose it all over the place." His look is now one of a mix of slight sadness and rage. I feel bad for making him take the entire bottle, but it was just a small amount in there anyway.

"And you didn't."

Link comes a bit closer, saying softly, "Can I go lie down please?" I have to say, he's been doing that a lot lately.

"Sure, but not too long now."

"Thanks." He goes out to the small living room we have, most likely going over to lay on the couch. I don't like having him sleep so much, it's like he's doing it to escape something.

Before I can go to the cabinets and find ourselves something to eat, I hear a knock on the door. It's rather loud, like someone's banging on it. Who could that be?

I go to the living room as well to answer the door, and I see something strange. Link is sitting up straight up, eyes wide again.

Getting close to him, I let out a what's wrong, and he replies with the scariest thing I've ever heard from him.

"Don't open the door." His eyes are watery, and all I want to do is get him to stop before he cries out. But I have to stop that banging first.

After a few moments of silence, I ask, "Why?"

"Just don't do it." There's nothing for him to be scared of, so why is he telling me this?

"I have to, it could be someone important. If you're so worried about it, go to the bedroom." To try and comfort him a bit, I give his shoulder a squeeze. "I'll let you know when I'm done."

Defeated, Link stands and rushes off the bedroom, closing the door as soon as he gets in. What was that all about? And who's our mystery knocker?

More banging comes around, and I go over to the big wooden door we have, with no window on it and open it quickly.

The one behind the door makes me want to scream. He speaks in a slithering tone, his words snaking around the building slowly.

"Where is number thirty-five."

* * *

AN: Well guys, I've sorted out what I plan to do after Speak now. I'm going to write a prologue featuring the first Zelda and her child after the big marriage, as well as her little way of getting her baby girl to safety. It will be written the same way, first-person format. The next story will be of Link this time and not Rose, but she'll be in it for a bit. That story will have Link's adventures in the orphanage before Lyle went mad, putting him at eight when that one starts. That one will be a little more lighthearted. I've decided on titles already, and if you want to know more, contact me. No big spoilers, though. See you all in the next chapter now.


	9. The Chase

**AN:** Well, here we are with chapter nine! I hate to say it, but we're close to the end... but we still have those prequels to look forward to. And really, I haven't been getting reviews lately. If you guys want to tell me something or ask about the prequels, then all ya gotta do is review, and I'll respond! Also, there's going to be a small amount of cussin', just to let ya know. Alright, here is chapter nine for you all.

* * *

"Where is he?" The man barks again, holding the door open with one arm, and I'm desperately trying to close it. I can hear Link whimpering from where he's hidden. He needs to be quiet, or he'll be found. He needs to be quiet, or something terrible is going to happen.

I've got it all figured out now. That weird feeling while I was outside… Lyle was watching me. I am just disgusted by the thought.

Meanwhile, the rain is pouring down outside, getting into the shop as well.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I reply, stepping forward. This guy may be armed, but I don't care. I'm scared yes, but-

"Of course you do, _Linebeck._" His words slither around again, my name being spoken like it was trash. "Now tell me. Where is he?" His fist clenches, and an evil little smirk crosses his face. I want to push him out the door and lock it. I know I can't. I know I won't. I can't, I won't.

"I told you, I don't know!" I raise my voice, but he can tell it's probably quivering.

"You sound scared. Are you lying to me?" I want him out of here.

"Get out." I try to narrow my eyes, to make him step back. It doesn't work though, judging by the way he pushes me away.

"Heh heh. Deep down, you're just a coward, aren't you? Tell me where he is, and I won't have to use anything against you. And trust me; it'll hurt if I do." Something silver is shining from the pocket of his coat, and I can't figure out what it could be. A knife? …The pistol?

"I won't tell you anything. Get out." I hold my place, not moving from my spot, even when he pulls out the pistol. I don't move when he walks in, trying to figure out where Link's little sounds are coming from.

"I know you're in here… come on out…" The man urges teasingly. "Come on…" For the love of the Gods… be quiet…

"Shut up."

He jerks his head over to look at me, a smirk still on his face. I want to drive him down so hard into the ground right now. I know I can't, he's armed, and what'll happen then? I'll get shot, and he'll take Link back with him. All I can do is stall the inevitable.

"What did you say?"

"I said, shut it."

"You're really testing the water now, aren't you? Look, I'll be on my way if you just tell me where he is." He places a hand on my shoulder, getting his curled lips closer to my ear as he whispers, "You don't really like him, do you? Have you grown… attached?"

I don't reply, and only continue to look forward. Lyle pushes me off some as he paces around the room, laughing a bit.

"You did, didn't you? Ha! Must've took a while to get the thing to talk, huh?" The thing?-!

"He isn't a thing. He's a little kid that you defiled with your own greed!" I ball up my fists, not realizing that my teeth are gritting together. Rage plays a key role on the stage that is my face, with Lyle being the groundling that laughs.

"Little kid? He sure doesn't act like one, the way he rakes in the money for us. So if you would excuse me, I'd like to take him back." That's it. I'm tired of this man and his retched way of thinking. I haven't felt like this in a long time, both full of fear and rage.

"I'm not letting that happen." I step forward to him, wishing I had something to protect myself with.

"I don't expect you to." He aims the pistol at me, the silver weapon glinting in the light. "Now go get him."

"It doesn't have to come to this, really. Put down your weapon and nobody gets hurt," I stutter, inching back a bit.

"The only person who's going to get hurt is you if you don't give me what I want." He sounds like a child, begging for something he saw in a store window. But his tone is threatening.

"And let you abuse him again? Let you sell him off to some stranger so you can keep up with your sad excuse for a life?"

I don't get answer from him as he looks over to the bedroom. I can hear Link's soft pitter-patter. Oh, why won't he sit still?-!

To my horror, the door opens to show a tiny Link in the doorway, eyes and face red from crying. Why did he open the door?-! Why?-!

Lyle's smirk just gets bigger, and I feel sick to my stomach.

"Ah… there you are. Come, we need to get going." For a minute, he sounded like me, the way he spoke to Link. He holds out a hand, pistol still aimed at me.

"N-no. I'm staying here." He steps back, most likely thinking coming out of the bedroom was a bad idea.

"Wrong answer. Come." Lyle holds the pistol up some, signifying the threat of attack some more.

"No. You can't m-make me." His eyes dart around, landing on me for a few moments. I can't help him. I feel totally helpless. It sickens me.

Lyle quickly loads the gun and points it at the ground. He pulls the silver trigger, a blast of light coming from it as well as smoke. The scent of gunpowder fills the air. The sound of it pierces into the sounds of the rain and thunder. It makes us both hold our hands to our ears, Link already crying out again.

"See that? That'll be you next if you don't comply." I think he's referring to us both at the moment.

"I'm not going back to be your little money making slave!" Link tries to move away, but gets caught by Lyle's surveying eyes.

"You little shit. I'll shoot if you don't get over here." That's it.

"Hey! You don't have the right to call him that!" I shout out, making Lyle give his attention to me. Link sees this and starts to run for the backroom, but another gunshot makes him stop cold in his tracks. Two shots down. How many to go?

"And you don't have the right to keep him here. He's still mine!" He's getting hysterical, pointing the gun at me now. Something gets caught in my throat, and I have no idea what it could be.

"You don't own him. Leave us alone."

"Neither do you. Then again, I have his papers, and you have… nothing. So... give him to me?"

"No, I'm not letting you have Link!" His name slipped out. Oh no, oh Gods his name-

"…So he told you his name, eh? I found it to be quite stupid, being named after an idiotic Hero boy who thought he was tough. Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose." You can't insult the dead like that, no matter who you are.

"Shut it and leave. Go elsewhere and never come back."

With my words, he comes in close, and we're face to face, the only sound being Link's whimpers again. His eyes are full of something I don't quite understand. It isn't full on madness, but there's something there that makes me wonder if he's truly mad. Could he still hold some of his former self? Perhaps not.

"Give him back. Your session is over."

"What session?" My words are hot, like his. Full of intensity and rage, like his.

"The one you paid for," He replies, and in an instant everything goes from bad to worse when he pushes me down to the ground, holding me there with a foot when I try to get back up.

"I never bought anything like that from you, you lying bas-" Before I can finish my sentence, he kicks me hard in the stomach, and I double over in pain. The world starts flashing before me, the pain is terrible. Link is hollering in the back-round, and I don't blame the poor thing. This is all my fault anyway.

"What was that? I didn't catch it." His smirk becomes wider still, to the point it fills his face.

"I said you're a ly-" He kicks me again, harder still, enjoying Link's gasps as he does so. After a while of asking me questions that get only half answers, he just starts kicking me for his own sick enjoyment. I bite my tongue as he kicks, and I can taste crimson. It's getting hard to breathe now… is this where I'm going to die? By the hands that ruined a child's life?

"Stop it! Stop it!" The boy wails, hands over his eyes.

After a while, I start to fall into blackness. Through the kicking, the screaming, somehow I'm thinking straight. Finally, he stops kicking and goes for Link, his little trophy for besting me like this. He starts wailing when Lyle starts to drag him by the hand to the front door, and all I can do is watch him, my hand reaching out as if I could somehow get him back to the safety that no longer exists here.

"Let me go! Let me… go!" Link screams out, thrashing about. "P-papa! Help! C'mon, get up!"

"H-hold on…"

I can't do anything for him. I can only lie here, covering my stomach as I try to stand, to give chase, but I fall back down in a pathetic heap. Out they go, the child's shrieks being silenced by more yelling and threats.

I feel my eyelids close. My breathing becomes shallow. The clock is ticking, the time being told as somewhere near… eleven? It's hard to tell… everything fades into black.

* * *

I come to what I think could either be minutes or hours later. I'm not sure. Looking around, I spot two holes in the wooden floor from the gunshots, papers thrown about everywhere. The front door is wide open, rain already soaking the mat in front of it.

My stomach feels like it's about to burst. There's blood on me, I can taste it on the corner of my mouth. I can't stand. It hurts too much to move.

I can't lie here, knowing that Link is… I can't even bring myself to think about it. I failed. I couldn't protect him… I messed up so badly…

I try to get up again, positioning myself on my knees, hands over my stomach. I lick my lips, the cool metallic taste making me shiver. I could've done something, I shouldn't have opened the door. I should've trusted my feelings earlier. Looks like I messed that up too, huh?

I crawl to the couch, standing myself up on it. I need to get out of here, quickly.

There's another sound nearing the door, a female out of breath. It can't be, the letter was only sent an hour ago, right?

In runs in a soaking wet Rae, her umbrella torn up by something I don't know. This is a terrible time, it really is.

She sees me hunched over the couch, and lets out a tiny gasp before she speaks up.

"L-Linebeck, what on Earth happened here?-! Where's Ka- I mean… Link?-!" Looks like she's read the letter already…

"It's… kinda hard to explain. He's been taken… back…" I force out.

"By who? Taken by who?" Rae runs to me, holding me up with her free hand. "Why is there blood on your lips?" She's extremely scared; I can see it in her eyes.

"Remember the man at the orphanage? That's Lyle… he came here, kicked me down, threatened us and ran off with the boy."

"Oh Gods no… why? Why did he come here?" Great, now tears are coming through on her. I haven't seen my sister cry in years, and I want to keep it that way.

"Honestly, I don't know. Something about a session." I have an idea of what he was talking about, but it could mean something totally different judging by the guy.

She frowns, pursing her lips together in thought. "Session?"

"It was the only way. Alright, enough talking. We need to get a move on," I suggest, standing up but falling back down into my sister's arm. This is going to take a while. I need to get to him, now!

"You're right. But you're beaten up pretty badly, as much as I hate to say this, you need to stay here." Rae holds my arm tighter as she speaks, trying to sound confident when I know she's afraid. "I'll go instead."

"Are you crazy? I'm not letting you do that! You'll get killed, remember the pistol?" I retort, trying to stand again. I can finally stand on my two legs without the feeling of crashing down, that's good. But walking?

"Well, so will you if you go it alone! Besides, you need to lie down, you don't look so good." She tries to put me down, but I fight back, making her give up and just letting me stand.

"No. I'm going after him, who knows what that man could be doing to him at the moment?" Thinking about that makes me shudder.

"Well… don't keel over on me." Rae starts to guide me to the door as quickly as she can, seeing the mat soaking wet. I'm glad she's not wearing a dress for once. She can move much faster in her crimson tunic.

"Wait, you're going too?" I ask, looking up to her. She pushes some hair out of my eyes before replying with something that kinda makes me feel a bit better.

"Course I am. Can't let a psychopath hurt my big bro and his son, right?" Son? Where did that come from?

"You're so stubborn, sister. You really are."

"And I like that fact about myself. Anyway… we need to hurry, and quick!" Rae goes for my umbrella, dropping her old and torn one on the wet floor.

Once out of the place, she shuts the door behind us and drags me off into the cold rain, now only just a light shower. How long have I been out, anyway?

Going down the muddy hill, Rae has to hold me close so I don't trip and fall. I'm getting my bearings back, I think. Once we reach level ground, she lets go of me completely, seeing if I fall or not.

"What the-" I say as I wobble about, but get balance in a few seconds.

"Just seeing if you can walk straight. Seems like you can," She replies as we walk a bit faster than before, "Question is, can you run?"

"I think so. Gods, this is all my fault..." I admit, trying to jog a little before my stomach gives out on me.

Rae catches up to me, holding my hand as she replies, "No, it's not. He came in, you tried to protect him, but you lost the fight. But you know what?"

"What?"

"There's always round two." She gives a weak smile, as if to make light of the situation.

"…This isn't something to smile about."

Rae doesn't speak, most likely thinking the same thing as me.

* * *

After a few minutes of running, we reach the station, out of breath, and it's surprisingly not packed like on usual Sundays. Strange. But that makes it all the better, we can get tickets for the Western Segment much more quickly now!

I hurry over to the ticket counter, oblivious to my sister's attempts to stop me. Why is she trying to anyway?

I approach the man behind the counter, who just so happens to be the same one Link spoke to quite harshly the other day. It pains me to think about it.

"We need two tickets for the Western Segment, quickly!" I force out, slapping my hands on the counter to get his attention.

"Calm down, calm down! Sorry sir, the last train for the Western Segment left a couple of hours ago." So I've been out for quite a while, huh. "Didn't you read the sign?" …What? Looking up, embarrassment washes over me as I read, is statement being true.

"The next train for it won't be here for a couple hours. I suggest you wait or something." The man goes back to… whatever he was just doing at that moment, but is taken out of it by Rae.

"Listen you, we've got a big problem here. We need to get there, now!" Gods, save her soul. She's too stubborn for the Heavens.

"And what's this problem, miss?" He folds his arms, chuckling.

"This guy right here," She points to me for a moment, "This guy right here has a son who needs to be picked up. We can't wait, unless you're okay with little kids being abducted."

"Well that's a damn shame, miss. Sorry, but read the sign. You need to wait. He'll be fine."

Rae goes from calm to outraged in a matter of seconds. Go her.

'He's just a little kid man, a little kid! Do you really want to tell us to wait for some late train so that our kid can be taken by some weirdo?" Nice one. I guess.

"I don't like the thought of it, but you have to wait. Sir, I advise to keep your wife quiet. She's disturbing the other customers."

"I'm his sister!" She clenches her fists, but there's no use for it. We have to wait or find another way around this.

"Okay okay, fine. Just be quiet and sit down, will ya?" The man sighs and leans back in the little booth. This is not turning out good.

Meanwhile, Rae is just pulling her hair out trying to think of something. "Gah! What are we supposed to do?-! We can't wait, we-"

"Listen. We have to. That or we can walk," I cut her off, but the next speaker isn't my sister.

"Or 'ya can go with me," the grandson of a carpenter replies. Starn.

"St-Starn! How'd you get here?" Rae exclaims, going over to the man. He's always there when we're stuck in a pinch, and this time is no different.

"I walked, 'o course." Rae slaps herself in the face. Starn is always one to be blunt…

"This isn't the time for jokes, Starn. We've got a kid missing."

Gods, how surprised does he look.

"R-really now?-! Is it Link?" He stammers out, mouth agape.

"Unfortunately. The big boss came round and took him back, beating poor brother over here to a pulp." She points over to me with her thumb. "We need a way to get to the Western Segment, and quick man!"

"Okay okay, jus' lemme think fer' a moment 'ere," Starn goes lost in thought for a little bit, his face contorting as he thinks. "I got it."

Rae beams while she replies with her hands clapped together, "Really? What is it?"

"Well, 'ya have two options. Either 'ya can take a ride to 'ta Southern Segment and walk from 'dere, or…"

"Or what? Tell us!" She begs with excitement flaring about her.

"Or we can take my ship and go 'round. Won't take too long if 'ya do 'tat."

Her jaw drops. "…Do you know how long it'll take?" I know how she feels. If we do that, it'll take hours.

"Only a few hours if 'ya go by 'ta rivers… we'll go out on 'ta river near here, go 'round and dock on 'ta outskirts."

"That'll take forever. There has to be a better way!"

"There isn't, sister. I hate to say it, but there isn't. Unless… unless we go to the Southern Segment." Rae readjusts the umbrella above us, sighing.

"Tat's where I'm goin' anyway. I'll be more 'den happy to go along with 'ya," Starn comments. We need to get going. Now. I've had it.

"No matter what, it'll take a while. …C'mon, let's go purchase our tickets." Rae travels over to the ticket booth yet again. With all this talk, we've wasted a good few minutes. I can't take it anymore, we need to hurry.

Following her, Starn and I go over by the ticket booth, the man there not even paying attention to our conversation apparently.

"Three tickets for the Southern Segment please…" Rae asks with a soft tone, a little calmer now. The entire day has been stressful, and with this going on, I'm surprised we haven't killed each other yet.

"Sure thing miss. Sixty Rupees." He holds out his hand while Rae is digging into her tunic pocket. With a little groan, she turns to us. I think Starn and I already know what she wants.

We both start digging into our pockets, with me only fishing out a good twenty-five, Starn thirty. There's fifty-five there. Five left to go.

"We've got a good fifty-five from Starn and me. Rae… please tell me you have money on you…" if she doesn't, we're in for it.

"Relax guys, I do. Will a measly ten cover it?" Thank goodness!

"Yeah. Keep the other five." With that, she pockets the rest of her money, the pooled money now in her hands, turning to the man at the booth yet again.

"Here, sixty right on the nose." She forces the money out to him, somewhat showing her hastiness.

"And here are your tickets. Next time, don't throw such a hissy fit." He has no idea.

"I'm not- …fine. Thank you sir." She takes the tickets and hands them out to us. With that nonsense over, we hurry to the line for the train number marked on our tickets. Thirty-five. How fitting.

There's a loud voice booming out, saying that our train is ready to be boarded. Our little group exchanges glances before getting our tickets stamped and finding seats inside.

The leather seats are cold, and so are the golden rods that surround them. Outside its dark and uninviting, like before. A child should not be out in a mess like this.

Rae sits down next to me, Starn on the other side of us. We just stare at each other, just wondering what is to become of each other. Should we make plans? Try to make the trip seem shorter? Every minute that passes could be one minute of pain for Link, one minute of crying out. One minute of total desperation.

Seeing my expression as I think those negative thoughts, Rae slips an arm around me, telling me that I'm going to be okay. But I know I won't. How can you be okay when one of the only people you love gets taken away from you in an instant?

"'Ey, quit 'yer poutin' 'dere, he's gonna be okay," Starn says, even though his words tell me to stop being so worried, his face shows the exact opposite of that. We're all worried. No amount of comforting will change that.

* * *

The hours pass by painfully, with me only staring out the window like Link always did. None of us fell asleep, our thoughts most likely keeping us from that. The train comes to a full stop, and our little group quickly gathers our things before stepping off the train and into the Southern Segement.

The Southern Segment is actually a rather peaceful place. It's flourishing with plant life, forests here and there, and a few small towns to boot.

"Well, we've got a long walk from here," I say, only dampening the mood.

"Why walk when we can run?" Rae comments, twirling her umbrella.

"Aye. Let's just get goin', no need fer talkin'."

After a few good looks from each other, we start to sprint for our next destination. If we keep a good pace, we'll be there in an hour or two. As of now, it's been two hours. So we'll reach the orphanage with a good four hours behind us… adding however long I was out…

"Hey, any idea what time it is? Forgot my watch," I ask, hoping that I wasn't out for as long as I think I was.

"Somewhere around two," Rae answers. "There's a giant clock over there, you know." Well, that was pointless of me to ask. Alright, let's see. I must have woken up around twelve. Last time I looked at the clock before that… eleven? So an hour. Add the trip down here… two hours to that… So Link has been gone for three hours. Once we reach where we suspect him to be, it would have been four or five hours. This is terrible. If Lyle had wanted to, Link could already be dead… or worse. If there's even a fate worse than death. …But the train for the Western Segment left hours ago. That means they walked. That means they're almost there, or have been for only a short time.

"'Ey… lost in thought 'dere buddy?" Starn pats my back hard to drag me out of my thoughts. Guy almost knocks me down. Might as well tell them what I've figured out at least.

"Maybe. I've just been thinking. I didn't tell you two, but Lyle gave me a hard enough blow to knock me out. After thinking about it, I apparently was out for an hour or so. From what I could gather… Link has been gone for three hours."

"And if we add two hours to 'dat fer 'ta next trip…"

"It'll be four or five hours."

At that we slow ourselves down to the point we're walking, the rain picking up and hitting us hard. We're already soaked, so there's no reason to worry about that. It'll be five hours until we find him. Five hours. If only we could've taken the train…

"Brother, are you crying?" What? It has to be the rain, why would I…

"It's just the rain. Nothing more," I respond quickly, wiping my face with my sleeve. Even though I've dried it off and no rain is hitting my face at the moment… something's still running down.

"You are. Listen… I know it's tough for you." Rae quickly brings me into a rare hug, Starn only standing back. "He's going to be okay." But she really doesn't know that, does she?

"And how do you know that?" I ask, letting my arms hang down. I'm not in the mood for this.

"He just will. Do you honestly think he would kill the kid?" Come to think of it…

"Maybe. It depends on the situation." Rae sighs and lets go of me, and we're already back to walking.

"Honestly brother, you're acting like we'll never find him." I don't say anything to that. I can't.

What if something has already happened to him? I know I shouldn't be thinking about it, but that what if is still hanging in the air. And really, I know I shouldn't put the blame on myself. But I know I am the one at fault. I opened the door. I let him into our lives.

And I'm ready to let him out.

* * *

**AN:** And there we have it. See you all in the next chapter.


	10. Found You

**AN: **Well, after a long hiatus, I'm back! I'm sorry guys this one took so long! But it's my longest chapter so far. Here comes chapter ten, you guys. It's almost over. Chapter eleven will be the last chapter, excusing the epilogue. Enjoy now!

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It's been a good amount of time since we've spoken to each other. I feel rather bad about that. A two hour's walk shouldn't be this silent. But what we have on our minds is keeping us from talk. From speech. I feel as if I should say something, perhaps to get our minds off the reason why we're even walking to the Western Segment in the first place.

The rain has finally let down more. Rae still has her umbrella up though, there's nowhere else to put it. The ground is wet, full of mud where we're walking. Thank goodness we're all wearing boots. If Rae decided to wear something more feminine, we'd be in trouble.

"It's quiet," Rae let's out with a sigh, moving her brunette bangs out of her face.

"I know," Is my only reply. I want to talk, I really do. But I just can't find anything to say.

"We're almost there though, only a few more minutes." Well, that's something I guess.

"Good." Though really, it kind of isn't. A part of me doesn't want to see the ending of this. What just happened to him. And yet that other part of me… only wants to see the little guy safe and sound. But what Lyle said might just be true. I do have my cowardly ways, I can't argue with that. But I'm not as cowardly as my predecessors, I believe. They wouldn't have walked into that orphanage alone, wanting to see just what was down there in the deep and dark rooms. I think I'm just… curious. Too curious for my own good, seeing the heap of trouble I caused.

"Good? That's all?" Rae comments, picking up the pace.

"Apparently. Really, that's all I can say. It's good that we're almost there. What isn't good is the thing we're all afraid of."

"And 'tat is?" Starn puts himself into the conversation, but I don't mind at all.

"If Link is truly safe or not. If he's being put through Hell at this very moment."

Suddenly, Rae starts to fume a bit, glaring at me. "Listen. You're thinking way too negatively. He'll be fine."

"Rae, how could you say that? You know what goes on down there; you practically work in the same area!"

"And? That's not a reason. Just because I live there doesn't mean I know how the people tick. Who knows, he could just be sitting around like a lost little puppy waiting for you."

"Somehow I don't think that's the truth."

Rae sighs, rolling her eyes a bit at me. "You're hopeless."

"And you try to put optimism where it doesn't belong."

"What happened to the old Linebeck, huh? He'd always crack a joke, even during the bad times. Seriously, where did he go?" Rae comments, still giving me that glare.

"He left, after watching one of the only people he cared for dragged off kicking and screaming by a madman. Does that help?" Her questions are like a boney finger to the chest. Even after you've answered it and it's gone, you still feel something linger there.

"You sound like you watched him being murdered in cold blood or something."

"It sure did feel like it. Look, we're already in the area now, so let's just go and-"

"Not until you straighten out your attitude." Wait what? "You're getting more and more… stubborn. You keep saying this is all your fault, which it isn't. Why do you think that anyway?" Time to come clean, I suppose.

"…I opened the front door when Link kept telling me not to. I think he saw him but just couldn't get the words to come out right."

"See? It was just a misunderstanding between you two. It wasn't your fault, and never will be. It only is if you just handed him off willy-nilly. Which you didn't. He took Link by force, you know that."

"But I didn't fight back."

"Of course you did, you were leaning over the couch when I first saw you. There was blood on you too. I say you fought back as well as you could, without getting violent. You're not one to get violent, I know that."

"But I didn't, I took his punches, his kicks. I gave up."

"Honestly. If I was in that situation…" She didn't finish the rest of her statement. I know why. She is a fighter, after all, unlike me. She looks away from me, biting her lip.

"Exactly."

"That's not what I meant…"

"If you were in that situation, you would've kicked him out as hard as you could."

"And risk getting the kid hurt? …Well…er-" And now's she's just trying to find an excuse.

"Look, 'ow about we all jus' try 'ta get movin'. All this bickerin' won't solve anytin'," Starn intrudes, trying to keep us level. Sane.

"…Right. We came for Link, not to bicker. …I can see it."

"See what?"

"…The orphanage."

We stop and stare at what's ahead of us for some time. I'm as afraid as the others, maybe a little more. I know, call me cowardly. But damn it, my kid is in there. And I'm afraid of what's happening to him, not me.

Shaking my head, I start to walk on, murmurs escaping the other two as we near the alley, and in that is the place where Link and I first met, his shining eyes convincing me something was arry.

Hopefully, his eyes are still shining.

For what seems like hours, we stand outside of the orphanage, or really what's become of it. The vibe this place gives off makes me want to run away and never look back. But I didn't come for that now, did I?

"Well… this is it," I announce, "No turning back."

"Yep."

"Aye."

The thing is, I cannot go in. I can't let these two in with me, they're innocent. They didn't do anything to be put in the danger I'm about to wade into. It'll be hard to tell them, I know.

I turn to them, saying solemnly with my head looking down at the puddles near my feet, "I've been thinking. …I know this won't sound good, but… I'm going in alone." And now we see the rising anger.

"Wha-?-! You can't do that, Linebeck! You'll get yourself killed!"

I don't lift my eyes from the ground, just like the boy so long ago. "You will too if you come with me. Please… let me do this on my own."

"There's no way I'd let you-…" Rae stops in mid-sentence. I wonder why this time.

"What's wrong?" I ask, but she pushes me down to the ground. What is going on here?-!

"Stay down! There's something in the window!" She whispers harshly in my ear. I see Starn is already on the ground. For a few moments, Rae keeps me down, but I can see, out of the corner of my eye, a black shadow crossing the window, followed by a taller one. They're moving quite fast. The shorter one seems to be running away from the taller one. It has a quite skinny build, a child's.

After a few moments, she jerks me back up.

"And that's why you need us to come, to save your skin!"

"And what if I want to save someone else's skin, hm? …Look, I just don't want to put you in any danger."

"Are you saying we're going to get hurt and possibly killed?"

"No. But, I do need you two to stay out here as… guards. Guard the place, make sure nobody gets in. Help Link and I when the time comes." When the time comes? What am I even saying?

"Honestly. I'm not-"

"Let 'ta man do wha' 'e has 'ta do." Heh, Starn's standing up for me, in from of my sister? Bad idea.

"Look Starn, I'm not going to let him get hurt-"

"Jus' keep yer trap shut, 'e's already goin' to the door." Gee, thanks Starn.

"…Linebeck! Get back here!" I feel sharp nails against the back of my neck for a moment, and then a tug at my collar. What is she even thinking?-!

"Rae, please! Just let me do this! …Please… I don't want to see you get hurt."

She lets go with a sigh.

"You know what? Fine. Go. We'll stay out here." She brings me into a warm and very confusing embrace. "Just be safe. I love you too much to lose you like this, you know." This is a rare moment, her telling me she actually loves her brother. How sweet, really.

I gently run my hand through her hair as I speak. " I'll be fine, don't worry. If I don't come back in… in a little more than an hour, two hours tops, then get help." I don't want to think of the possibility of anyone getting hurt, but I have to now.

She nods, letting go of me.

"Be safe."

"I will be. See you in a little bit." With that, I turn to face the door to the building; the thing towering over all of us. I wonder what this place looked like back in its glory days. Was it calming or disruptive? Did you always hear laughs or cries? Were the children… happy? It's strange to think that once in a place like this, the ones who live here were once happy souls. Now all that's left is a shell of their former childlike qualities.

With that thought not ready to go just yet, I take a deep breath and open the door. My heart is racing, hands sweaty. I can't believe this is even happening, it's going too fast, too fast too fast too-

The door slams behind me. All I see is red. Well, the red on the walls. The paint. I can hear a… rather mature voice coming from another room somewhere.

"Another customer today. Sunday too, I think. …I'll go check… no, you stay here- I said stay!"

I wonder just who he was talking to.

Out of the door across the room I'm in steps out a young boy who looks not a day over seventeen. Why there's a boy his age here I don't know. But it does give me a sick comfort to know there are older children here. He's rather clean too. Hm.

The boy himself has pale skin, doll-like. Rosy cheeks, a small blush tints his face. Light brown hair covers his light blue eyes. He's as skinny as Link, perhaps even more.

The boy smiles an obviously fake smile. "Well hello there. What are you here for today? You look rather… wet."

Might as well get some conversation in. Perhaps I can slip by when he isn't looking.

"Seems so. I'm not here for much. Looking for a certain someone actually."

"Ah, so you have a request? …Never had that happen before. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm number twenty-six. You must have heard of my… talents."

Sickening talk from a boy his age. "No, I haven't. Got a name?"

"…A name? What do you mean?"

"I said I wish to know your name."

"Why?"

"No reason. I'd just like to know. If it makes you feel better, the name's Linebeck the Fifth."

"…I think I've heard of you, sir! Do you own a trading post?" Huh. Has everyone heard of me?

"Why yes, yes I do. But that's not what we're going to talk about. Give me your name."

"Fine, be that way." His smile gets more defiant and real. "The name's Luke. Nice to meet'cha."

Luke. I like that name. Wait a minute… he shares the nickname of the young prince Luca. How cute. He even looks like him a little.

"Lovely name you have. I've been fond of it."

"Gee, thanks!" Luke says bashfully, "So, who are you looking for, anyway?"

"You may know him. Link." You might be wondering why I'm not rushing down the stairs right now. I'm not that stupid. I'm going to get some information first before rushing in to save the day. Or something to that extent.

Luke's face loses all the rose for a minute. "…Link? You know him too? …Was he a good performer for you or something? He usually never puts any heart into it. Shame." Sickening. Very sickening.

"I know him because well… I'm the one who stole him away."

"So you're the one that Lyle's been fuming about! Never thought that you, a trading post owner, would need to have a-"

"No no. I took him in as an apprentice." Luke just starts laughing at that.

"Ha! Best one I've heard all day!"

"No boy, it's true. I took him in."

"Does he still… you know."

"No. He helps around in the shop. That's it." Alright, I need to get down to business. Who was he talking to before, and if I can get any knowledge out about Link.

"Ah. So he works with you in that trading post of yours. The little guy always did give off a flair of… entrepreneurship. When it was allowed-"

"Wait. So how well do you know Link?" Hook.

"Oh, uh… heh heh… we're like brothers."

"Hm. Tell me, who were you talking to earlier?" Line.

Luke steps back a bit, thrown off by my question. What does he know, and what is he afraid of?

"…Why would you want to know?"

"Just tell me. Is it the same person you were talking about before?" And sinker…?

"Well… it wasn't Link if you're wondering… one of his friends actually…" I think he's lying.

"I see. Can you tell me where he is? I'm in a big hurry."

The youth now steps back even more, inching toward the door he came from. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Please, a simple direction. A room. Please, I just want him back."

"…I'm not supposed to say, orders according to the owner. L-leave p-please…" I can see his eyes are welling up with tears. Why, I don't know. It's as if he wants to tell me, but is afraid to do so. Why? the boy is well over the age of childhood. Is he that scared?

"No. I'm not going that easily. Are you afraid?"

The brunette's vivid eyes lock into mine with some surprise.

"W-what? Me, afraid?"

"Yes. Are you afraid of him? Lyle, was it?"

"…A little." Now he sounds like the child he is on the inside.

"Don't worry; you won't be in a little while. Now tell me. Where is the boy?"

Suddenly, Luke creeps up to me, rosy cheeks getting redder and eyes misty.

"…He's upstairs. …He's being… punished. Do I need to explain?" Alright, where's the nearest window or waste can? My stomach is churning something awful.

"You don't, I follow. …How far upstairs?" This building is quite tall…

"Hate to say it but, tallest room. Ya know, like the tallest tower where a princess is being held." Yet another analogy I don't really agree with. Link, a princess? What?

"So it's all the way up then." Wonder why.

"Yeah. But what do you plan to do?"

"To take back the child. And…" I try giving him a smile. "And getting you out of here. All of you." How is another question.

"R-really? Ya mean it?"

"I'm not the kind to lie like that."

"…You're not an official in disguise, are you?" I would be surprised if he didn't ask that.

"No, I'm not. I'm just a simple shop owner of many trades." It feels strange to sum up your occupation like that.

"Then why are you offering to help us?" Seriously kid?

"Because unlike most men that come in here, I'm kind and don't like to see children in a state such as yours." Hit the nail on the head right there.

"…Thanks. It means a lot to me."

"I'm sure it does, kid. Anyway, I've wasted enough time here, which way do I go?"

Pretty sure I shouldn't have said "wasted enough time" in front of him like that. But Luke doesn't seem affected.

"I'll lead you, it's better that way. You won't see and hear too much." I'm very sure I know what he means by that. Disgusted again.

"Thanks. Lead the way, Luke." I think he likes being called by his name, the way he beams at me. …What I'm wondering though is why Luke can speak so well, and how Link took his sweet time to open up to me. Is it because he's much older than Link? Able to take things better? …Gotten used to it?

"You got it. …We'll stop at the beginning of the hallway though, I don't wanna go all the way down. Lyle's room is down there…" So it's his room I'm going to. Weird.

"That's fine. Is it all the way at the end of the hall then?"

"Yup." And we begin our little trek to the staircase. Turns out the room he came out of led to more hallways and rooms, and at the end of that is a staircase. We go on up the first flight. It's a long way up, let me tell you.

"So… how many more?"

"Pardon?"

"Flights of stairs. How many more?"

"Oh. Four, I think." Four?-! But the flights are so long… how many people can this place occupy anyway, with all the flights of stairs I've been seeing?

"…Fine then."

"Yeah, the place is really big, isn't it?" Luke comments with a laugh. Of course, this one seems a little forced. "The rooms are just really spaced out, seven rooms to a hall, five floors. Thirty-five of us in all." Going by that logic, Link must've been the last orphan to walk through those doors then, thirty-five of them and his number being the same.

"So there are five halls to this place?"

"Yup. Well, the boarding halls, which are upstairs. Each floor has a hall. Good for organizing. Way back when, we were called by our halls. If you lived on the third floor hall, you were called a third floorer. Or haller, whichever you like." How is he able to talk of the place like it's nothing?

"Which floor do you live on?"

"You mean used to. I used to live on the second floor. Each of us got our own room… it was great. …Well, funny story really. Before the little kid Link waltzed in, we were at a perfect thirty-five, Lyle being the thirty-fifth. Link made it thirty-six, and he had to share a room with one of us. I volunteered, and we were buds ever since." Touching.

"Ah. But Link told me some of the children ran away. So you don't have thirty-five anymore, do you?"

"They did. Then we took in a few more to compensate. I really don't wanna talk about that one, actually."

"And what of the boy who ran away?" Luke gives me a strange look as we near the beginning of the first hall. Four more left to go.

"…I don't want to talk about it either." Seems like the comment hit him hard, the way he looks away from me, rosy cheeks flaring.

"Suit yourself. I'm sorry for asking if it's very personal to you." I give his shoulder a squeeze but he wrenches away from my touch. Looks like most of the children don't really like skin contact, even if it's just a way to sympathize.

"…It is. Just let it go, please?" Was it he who ran? What happened?

"Alright. Is there anything you wish to talk about? We're almost to the second staircase too, it seems."

"No. We'd better hurry." I swear, this boy doesn't act his age. He acts quite younger. Then again, he was never taught how to act like a proper young adult, was he?

"I know." We've been going at quite a fast pace. I'm still very much worried for Link. But I need to keep as quiet as I can as to not disturb anyone, or bring any more attention to myself than I have.

* * *

We're rather silent as we go up the floors, turning at the corner at the end of the hall to go up and around. It seems the halls wind around the place. Finally, together, we reach the fifth and final hall. …I can hear something muffled at the end, way in the back. Oh Gods, please don't let it be him…

"This is as far as I go," Luke says, shuffling his feet awkwardly on the ground in a stance of shyness. I feel rather bad for the boy.

"Alright then." I give him a half smile, patting him on the back a few times. "Thank-you for all your help."

A true and sincere smile forms on the lad's face, looking up to me. "…W-welcome."

Without a second glance, he races for the stairs, waving to me. I wave back, not even able to say goodbye. I'll be seeing him again soon, for sure.

With a deep intake of breath, I move towards the door at the end of the hall, the muffled sounds getting louder as I progress. I'm not about to let my weak stomach get ahold of me, no matter how gruesome the sight I'll be seeing on the other side of the door.

Palms sweating, I fumble with the doorknob, knowing whoever that's inside can hear my little mumbles of "come on, come on". After a few seconds, I finally get the door open, pushing it forward lightly.

What's inside makes me feel relieved and alarmed at the same time. Link is in the room alone. That's good. But he's very disheveled, almost naked apart from his shirt. I know what had happened at this point. I close my eyes at the sight, feeling a wave of complete failure rush over me. I was too late to save him from this "punishment" Luke spoke of, whatever it was.

The sight before me is depressing. He's half naked as I've said before, hair all over the place and in his eyes some. His arms are tied to the bed rack, perhaps a way to keep him from struggling.

But what really makes the tears flow is his little voice, speaking to me in wonder and desperation.

"P-papa?" I can't take it anymore. I rush to his side, kneeling down before the bed. I lay my head down on his small chest, body shaking. I've found him. I've lost him too. What that man had just done to him makes me sick.

Noting my current state, I jerk my head up to look into confused hazel eyes.

"I'm here now. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I ask, going for the rope around his hands. The knots are tied well.

He doesn't respond, a shaky frown forming on his face. Now both of us have tears on our faces. What a reunion this is.

"Answer me Link. Did he hurt you?"

He nods a slow nod. So it did happen. I was too late. I'm kicking myself in the backside deep inside my mind as of now.

"Oh Gods… I'm sorry Link. I'm so sorry… Oh Gods-"

"It's okay… papa…"

Freeing one hand, I quickly reply, "No, it isn't. He hurt you. I wasn't here."

"If it makes you feel any better… we couldn't take the train. We walked. So we were only here for a little while now…" So they weren't on the train! They walked, so that cuts the time!

"We couldn't take a train either."

"We?"

"Rae, Starn and I. We walked together here. They're outside watching for anyone."

Link sniffles a bit as I free the other hand. He quickly sits up and wraps his arms around me. I bite my lip, running my hand through his tangled mess of hair as I do the same, plucking him off the bed. I set him on the floor, and we stand there together in some sort of embrace for some time, the only sound his sniffling.

I break the silence by gently asking, "What did he do to you?" Though I already know the answer.

"…You know. …He beat me. Then he tied me to the bed and told me to wait there. I cried myself to sleep and I napped a little bit. I woke up when I heard something on the stairs." Seems like he forgot about the boy.

"Are you sure that's all he did? …I mean, look at you."

"Y-yeah…" I honestly think he's lying.

"Look, I'll understand if you think it's too bad to say. Please, for the sake of me and the others, tell me the truth Link."

"…You really want to know…?"

"Just speak the truth."

The boy goes into another wave of shakes, and I hold him against me.

"…After he tied me to the bed… he… he…"

"He did something to you."

He doesn't respond, instead opting to cry out again.

"I understand. We're leaving. Find your pants."

The boy looks into my eyes, as if searching for something.

"He took them." Oh. Of course he did. Great, just great.

"…Then you can use my coat. Button it all the way up so it covers you," I say as I let go of him, slipping the coat off of me and gently placing it on him. Link just stands there, brow furrowed as if he's trying to understand something way out of his league.

"…Someone's coming!" He exclaims, buttoning the coat as fast as his hands allow him. The coat, thank goodness, goes past his knees like always. But now it really looks like a dress on him. Meanwhile, we're hearing some very unsettling footsteps…

"Who's coming?-!" I ask, confusion on the rise. It can't really be him, can it?

"L-Lyle! …H-hide!"

"No, there's nowhere to hide Link. ...Brace yourself." With a small cry he pushes himself into me. The boy is just a mess.

The heavy footsteps get louder and louder, nearing the room. I wonder if he could hear me. We talked rather quietly, but still.

"Papa, don't let him hurt me! Please!" There's no way I can protect him now.

"I won't let him hurt you."

After some time, we can hear the knob being messed with. After a "damn it to hell", the door swings open and hits the wall with a bang. In walks in Lyle, the man of the child's fears and of my anger.

"Well well well. Wouldn't expect to see you here," The man says, snaking around us. I'm still holding onto Link tightly, not letting him go.

"Well, I am. And if you excuse me," I start coolly, "I'll be out of here with the boy."

"Not excused in the least." Lyle rests a hand on Link's head, and he shrinks into me, whimpering.

"You know, a little birdy told me you were here. What a nice boy he was too." Luke. That traitor.

"Who is he talking about-"

"Hush, Link. Hush."

Lyle drops his hand from the boy's head, going around us as if we're prey.

"Oh, let the boy ask his questions. You're supposed to be the good "papa", are you not?" Now that gets on my nerves. "Anyway, I was talking about twenty-six."

"Luke!" Link exclaims, "Luke, where is he? He's still alive?-!" Well then. That doesn't sound too nice. Still alive?

"Listen boy. I said was. Was. I mean, he's still around… but not for long."

Link's face goes to a shade of pale white as he pulls away from me, to my discomfort.

"What'd you do to him, you monster!"

"I simply re-explained our code of conduct, and then swiftly punished him for his disobedience."

"Did you kill Luke?-!"

"No. Not yet. He's in the second hall, currently bleeding very well. I can go however and-"

"No!"

Lyle lets out a chuckle that sends a chill up my spine. "Suit yourself. Besides, you've been very disobedient, have you not? Taking board with this man for many days… running away… tsk tsk tsk."

"Shut-up, just shut-up!"

"Oh, now you're yelling at me. That's one more offense. I'll just chalk that one up for you."

"Just shu-" Before Link can continue, Lyle slaps him hard across the face. The boy is very surprised, the force of the hit making him fall onto the bed. He sits there, bewildered as he strokes his soft cheek.

"What was that for just now? He didn't deserve that, Lyle!" I exclaim, quickly going over to the boy and helping him back up on his feet. Something tells me this isn't going to end well.

"Bah. Disobedience must be punished. Surely you did the same?"

"No, I didn't. I almost thought about slapping him square across the face once, but I've only yelled at him. If you knew what goes on in this child's mind…"

"Do you?" Touché.

"No. All I know is that you've done many horrid things to this boy. It's ruined his life, his future. You are the one to blame, honestly."

"Hah, you make me laugh! What have I done to him? It was his own decision, not mine!" What?

"How so? How was this Link's decision? Did he decide to put everyone in this Hell? Thought not."

"You'd be surprised. " I quickly look down at the boy, hazel eyes aimed down at the ground, almost as if he was trying to cut a hole through it. He didn't… no. I cannot believe this man, no matter what he says. He's a crook. A lying crook. But the way the boy looks now…

"You're lying."

"I'm not. Do you not see the boy's face? His body language? It all points to him!" He gives out a little laugh, the kind that again sends shivers down my spine.

"He's only doing that because he's scared. I know this was all your idea."

"No. He knows. Ask him."

…Ask… him?

"Link… listen to me. What is he talking about?"

The one with the hazel eyes doesn't look up at me, and mumbles out his words.

"All I said was that we needed a way to get money…"

"That's it?"

"I said I'd do anything to help…" And in context, that must've been a very naïve statement.

"Link… what happened after that?"

"I just said that we could work for money… around the area…" So that's how it happened. A simple and childish idea like working for a few good Rupees turned into this mess.

"And it just… escalated?"

He only nods his head, wiping his nose with the sleeve of my jacket. Well, I'm washing that later.

I turn to the man, who most likely wasn't expecting that answer.

"Do you see what you've done to the boy? Do you?"

"They wanted work. I gave them work."

"Don't be stubborn. Look at him."

"I didn't do anything. They are his emotions, not mine." He sounds like he's trying to deny something.

"Look at him, damn it!" I go for the man's torso, wrenching him around and making him look at the now whimpering child. I hold his head there as he struggles from my grasp. "You did this to him! Can you not see the error of your ways? He didn't deserve any of this! None of them did!"

"They wanted this!"

"No, they didn't! It was you! All you, and the death of your wife!"

Suddenly, the man stops struggling. His eyes narrow as he looks into mine. I've looked into them before. I've seen the hidden guilt and hurt. And now it's sadness. Begging. Begging for what?

"Don't ever mention her again."

"Your wife caused this. Her death sent you spiraling into madness. Despair."

"Do not make me use force-"

"No. After her death, you needed money to keep up with the place. You let the children work around. Then something happened to you. I don't know what, but you saw something else in those children. And you worked with that to get where you are today. "

"Be quiet."

"No. Think about it. Let it soak in." I let him go, and he immediately draws his pistol. Bad move by me. He doesn't aim or even cock it. Perhaps all he needed was to hold it at his side. A comfort thing perhaps?

"Do not make me use this. It was them. All them."

"You're lying to yourself. It was you all along. The death. The madness. The money you wanted. It was all there. And it points not to Link, but to you."

He just pauses for a while. It's as if he's thinking about something.

"What else could I have done? Besides, some of them actually enjoy it!" What lie that is!

"Stop lying to yourself."

"Be quiet!"

"Stop lying to yourself and think."

I think I've taken him over the edge by this point. Lyle raises the pistol at me.

"Now put the gun down. It doesn't have to come to this. Please-"

My words are interrupted by the sound of a click. He cocked the gun. And now, it's pointing directly at me. The boy at my side has calmed down, but he's frozen in a state of fear.

"Don't make me use this. It was all their fault! All of it!"

"For the Gods' sake man, see the damn light!" I scream out, the intensity of the situation getting higher with every second. He puts his finger on the trigger, fingering it. Is he going to shoot?

"What light, there is no light!" He pulls the trigger. Oh Gods he pulled the trigger oh Gods no-

"No!" The blast shatters the sound of the room, and surprisingly I'm not hurt. If I'm not shot… who did he shoot…

…I hear screaming.

And it's not me.

* * *

**AN: **And that's ten. Ended it on a cliffhanger, I know. See you all in the final chapter, and the epilogue.


	11. Begining of the End

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the massive wait. School, band, AP classes... whoa! So two things here: One, there will be twelve, count 'em twelve chapters here. This is just half of the ending here. ...And so for the lateness, it's almost double the usual length. Again, sorry. But please, enjoy!

* * *

Turns out his aim is terrible. Lyle's arm jerks back as the force of the shot goes through him, the bullet…

Suddenly, Link brings his hand to his upper arm, squealing in pain. The blood rushes down his coat, soaking through as he cries out. He's been shot.

"…L-Link?"

My eyes go wide at the sight. I'm shaking. No, not shaking. Trembling. I can't move. I can't move my fingers, they're too shaky to manipulate. Somehow though, I manage to bring my arm to him, catching the boy as he drops to his knees. I put a hand on the wound, feeling the warm crimson trickle down my fingers, staining them.

"Link…"

I never thought it would come to this.

The boy's eyes well up with tears, cheeks rose red. He's crying hard, choking on his own hiccupping breath. I'm afraid to do anything. Is he going to bleed to death?

Finally, he finds a moment to look into my eyes. Eyes that reflect fear and innocence into mine. Those wonderful hazel eyes I've adored, close in color to my green ones, are now puffy with all the crying and screaming he's been doing.

"It h-hurts… It h-hurts…" A small, delicate tear falls down his already wet face. I brush it away quickly.

"It hurts!"

I try to move him behind me, to avoid another try at the boy. Setting him down gently near the bed, I stand over him. I try to remove his coat. Perhaps if I'm quick enough, I can wrap some of it around his arm to prevent any more blood loss.

This just causes more pain for the boy, but he reluctantly lets me slip it off, revealing a very reddened blue shirt. The wound itself isn't too deep. It seems it didn't just graze his arm, but it sure did leave something awful.

I take the arm of the coat, wrapping it around his wound. …I'm surprised Lyle isn't doing anything. No second shots, nothing. …Is he having second thoughts? I don't dare look behind me just yet. I'm afraid of what I might see.

Successful, I set his arm down gently, placing the rest of the coat on his lap.

Suddenly, I see he's trying to mouth something.

"What is it?"

I can't make out what he's trying to say. I start urging him to speak up, but his words come out in a whisper.

"Behind you."

I have little time to act. Just as I turn around, my ears pop with the sound of a gunshot going off. My breath catches in my throat and before I know it, a piercing pain rushes up and down my spine. Crimson trickles down my back and abdomen.

"P-papa!" The boy screams out as my body collapses to the floor.

What just…

Confusion sweeps over me. It takes me some time to realize I've been shot. Seems no matter what I do, I can't protect him. …The pain is great. …I can't move my legs at the moment. It seems the shot… How am I still alive? Is it some cruel joke placed upon me? I don't know. I just want a few seconds, a few minutes to speak and to comfort. If that's all I can get now, that's fine.

The boy quickly rushes to my side, eyes again filled to the brim with tears as he cries out. I take a shaking hand to his head, ruffling his hair slowly.

"Papa… please, don't do it!" He puts his face in my chest, the jagged breaths perhaps scaring him too.

"Link… I'm here… sh-shush now…" I force out. It hurts to breathe now.

"No! I don't want you to die!"

"Link… listen. …I know that you're scared… but be brave. Be brave… for me, okay?" To be honest, I think we're both scared.

He sits up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I can't be brave…"

"Yes you can. You're… you're a brave boy." I give him a weak smile, and it pains me to do so. I just want him to smile again, for me. I want the last thing I see to be a smiling face, not a pained and frowning one.

"You really think so?"

"Yes… courageous. You know…"

Link gives me a few blinks, wonder in his voice as he says, "Know what?"

"…If all of this wouldn't have happened… and I mean from the beginning with your grandmother's first and only love to now… " I start slowly. The room is silent, more silent than before. It's like I'm in an empty room, talking to myself. That kind of silence you hear. "…You would've made a fine prince. I can see it in you. Sure, the chance was taken away from you long before you were born but… if things went the way they should have… you might have been the greatest boy to sit on that throne the twins will inherit one day. And I believe that in full."

Link doesn't say anything to that. He just stares at me with giant eyes, looking like he's going over every word in his mind before his next action.

His bottom lip begins to tremble as he falls into me again. I put a shaking hand on his head again, another on his back as he starts sobbing once more. My breath is getting shaky. It trembles like my hands.

The boy lifts his head up, just inches away from my face. He puts on a small, tender smile as if to cheer me –or maybe himself- up. And then he does something I never would expect him to do. He inches ever so slowly to me, and in those few seconds, he places a gentle peck on my cheek. His lips linger for a moment before he pulls away, resting his head in my chest again. He doesn't speak for a little while, as if he just wants to relish the moment as long as he can.

"…I love you… papa." I almost half-expected to hear those words sooner or later. But now… it's bitter-sweet. And yet… yet I respond back.

"And I love you. I… I always will." I myself can feel a sting in my eyes. I can't cry in front of him. It'd be terrible if I did.

But I guess it's true. I've developed a fondness for the boy. It's laughable. I never thought I'd get so close to another besides my family. Starn and I aren't as close as my sister and I, and heck, Link here is close behind. And I always mean what I say. I just wish I could've told him sooner.

"…Even…" He stops there, as if not wanting to continue with his thought.

"Even after I'm gone." That was… hard to say. Suddenly, I start to gasp for air. …This really is where it ends, isn't it. Am I really to die here? I guess so. I don't want to go. I don't want to leave him here. I failed him. I failed myself.

Fathers are supposed to protect their children. I can't even do that.

"Papa!" He raises up sharply, fear echoing in his eyes and tiny voice.

I give him a small smile as I bring a hand to his face. "…It'll all be okay… just smile for me child. Just once…"

Link does as he's told, a little grin forming on his face, cheeks even redder now.

"That wasn't so hard now… was it?" I try to take in a single breath, but to my great fear I find I cannot. With the last of my energy, breath and overall strength I whisper so softly, "Yes… that is the smile of a true prince…"

* * *

_**~ A Child's Point Of View ~**_

* * *

…I don't believe it. I can't!

"…Papa?" I start to shake his still form, waiting for another breath. …He can't be! No! "Papa!"

"Please, please say something! …Wake up! Please! P-please…" I start to cry again, placing my head in his chest. I can feel his warm crimson on my face, but I don't care.

"Please…" His hands are still on me. They're still warm. Perhaps I can pretend he's still here, holding me. Holding me tight.

Maybe he's alright. Maybe he's only joking.

Maybe I'm just that stupid.

I don't want to move, but I know I have to. I have to get out of here. But I don't want to leave him; he was the only thing I had left that kept me alive. It's funny really. That was the day I planned to sneak into Lyle's special cabinet and down a bottle or two of… well, I'll save the details for you. I planned to just you know, end it.

If I did that, I would stop hurting so much. I would stop getting hurt. And yet… I was shown something I had forgotten long ago. Affection. Care. I was cared for, and I cared too. The man I'm resting on now was the thing that kept me going. Even Luke didn't know about my plans that day, I was so secretive. …And I tell him everything. …By now, he's gone. Lyle did say he was bleeding out in the hall.

I want to stop crying, but I just can't. My tears mix with the blood on his shirt.

I think back to those little notes I wrote. I really poured my heart out on those, didn't I? Still can't believe he actually read them, even though I knew he would. Out of all the people I've ever met, he was one of the easiest to read. I could tell just what he was going to do next, say next. And yet he always surprised me. I kinda like that, being surprised.

But not like this. Not by a long shot.

I don't even care about my arm anymore. I don't care what happens to it anymore. I just want him back. But I'm not naïve. Not anymore. I know that he won't come back, it's all Lyle's fault.

Lyle. I really did care for you. I really did. But now, you're just an empty shell, you exist for money and nothing more. But what am I saying. That's what I existed for too a long time ago.

The second wave of tears comes crashing through. I just can't stop sobbing, no matter how hard I try. There goes being brave.

"Why are you still so warm…"

Suddenly, I hear a sound that could only be described as… well, a twinkle. Like some high-pitched wind chime. I raise my head up, trying to find the source of the sound.

Following that sound, from somewhere in the room comes out a tiny ball of light. A tiny fairy. The tiny fairy darts around the room, with Lyle watching very intently. I am too. It's the same fairy from before, the one I met in the forest after I wrenched myself away from that man as we went on, with me running as fast as I could to escape and hide.

It sees me, going for my arm. Why must it do that?-! Does it not acknowledge the man under me?

And yet the thing rests upon my arm, placing hands on the coat that protects my wound. I start crying again. What is it trying to do?

I try to shoo the creature away, but it only frowns and goes for me again. But as it does, I think it realizes something. She -I think- goes from my arm to Linebeck. She stares at his unmoving body for some time.

But after some time, her body starts to glow a vivid pink, sparkles falling from her as she floats up and encircles us. What is she doing? As she does this, the room gets a little warmer. Pinker.

And in seconds, I feel a heartbeat. It's not mine… I hear gasps. Not mine. I hear a deep breath, a cough or two. There's red returning to the other's cheeks. …Is he being… healed? I don't understand…

And then, a miracle. Linebeck starts coughing hard, green eyes opening and become lively again. I don't understand what's going on, but I immediately give him some room, sitting up and gripping his hands tightly. His wounds fade, the gunshot on his front disappearing. Mine too disappears. But the blood lingers, the stains still there. It's like magic, the thing that isn't supposed to exist.

He's alive. Sputtering, but alive. His hands aren't so stiff anymore, and the first action he does is look over to me. Tears well up in my eyes as the fairy smiles and fades away. Maybe everything is going to be alright soon. I just have to hold on, I guess.

Because if there's anything I know, I know that I won't have to be afraid for too long. And that's what makes me smile.

* * *

_**~ A Shop-Keep's Point Of View ~**_

* * *

My eyes flutter open as I gasp out for air. …How am I alive? What is going on?

Before I can even react, the boy just pretty much jumps me, tears in his eyes.

"You're alive!"

"…I guess I am. But… how?" Yes, just how am I alive?-! I'm more than confused. I'm… what's the word I'm looking for, stupefied? Dumbfounded?

He only hugs onto me tighter, and I sit up to bring him into my lap. I hold him there as he lets out his tale.

"A fairy healed you. I don't understand how, but I think it's the same fairy I met before. …I ran away from Lyle when he caught me. I shook out of his grip, I did! I ran for a forest and hid there, kneeling in a bush. There I heard some giggles, and a little ball of light came down. I couldn't believe it, a fairy! You told me they didn't exist anymore, but they do! They do! We talked for a few seconds, and it agreed to come with me. So I hid it in my pants pocket. I didn't know it could heal people…"

His tale is a strange one, but I believe it.

"So a fairy healed us." Finally, I hug back onto him. "I'm just glad you're safe…"

"I'm glad you're alive."

"Me too." I say, running a hand through his mess of blonde hair. Even still, it covers his eyes. I return Link's show of affection from before, placing a kiss on the boy's forehead. "We'd better get ourselves out of here."

"What… what have I… done…" We look over to the speaker, a very confused Lyle. At that point, Lyle steps back until he hits the wall, slumping down. He places a hand to his forehead, eyes wide. I guess he's finally realized his faults. Perhaps I can lay it on him a bit more. I stand, placing Link on the floor. He immediately grasps for my hand.

"You shot a little boy and killed me. That's what you did."

"All this time… I feel as if I've been… controlled. As if I was a mere puppet for something else…" What? What is he trying to say? It's rather out there and vague to be honest.

"What on Earth do you mean?" I begin, watching him hold up the gun a little bit. "…Drop the gun."

"I'm not aiming to shoot you, not now anyway."

"Then what are you trying to do?" At that, he remains silent. "Well?" He isn't going to…

"Are you…"

"I was blind. I was someone else. I…"He holds up the pistol. Even though it's slightly aimed at us, I have a feeling of who the bullet is really for.

"And you don't have to be. You're sorry for your mistakes. That's the first step." Why am I even saying these things? Trying to get him out of offing himself? He's a bad man who deserves what he gets right now, but the thought of knowing someone is going to do that to themselves… I can't comprehend that.

"And I don't want to take any more steps."

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"It's the only way. I want to pay up for my mistakes." At least he's sorry.

"…We can help you. Please." I just don't want Link to watch someone off themselves at the moment.

He smiles. But this time, it isn't so evil. It's filled with… remorse? "You know… I saw everything back there. It got me thinking." He cocks the gun, smile draining now. "When the boy was hugging onto your form, lifeless and then resurrected, it made me think back to a time I thought I had forced myself to forget. A time where things were… not as dim. I wouldn't say joyful, no, there wasn't much joy back then. I'm sure the boy will say otherwise, but there just wasn't, with… with _her. _The one I loved more than anything else. Once she was taken away from me… I forced myself to forget. I didn't want to feel the pain. I pushed everyone away, and soon I became… this. I regret everything, I really do. But if there's one thing I can still do to bring peace to myself…"

"Don't do this." Not in front of the boy, at least.

"I'm going to join her, wherever she is..." A few moments pass before I see the gun is now resting on the side of his head. His last words make me wonder. "I'm sorry… Luke…"

I quickly cover the boy's eyes with a free hand as I watch Lyle pull the trigger. He quickly collapses to the floor, splatters flying to hit the wall. He's silent, eyes focusing on Link. I can feel a chill run up my spine. I swear… those eyes hold something for a quick second. …It's as if they're saying something. Like an apology.

I hated the man. I really did. But something in me makes me want to forgive him. I don't know what, perhaps it's my kindness.

We stand there for a few moments, Link holding my hand even tighter.

"Link. Close your eyes and cover them until I say so. Do not peek," I say as I let go of his hand, taking my other hand from his eyes. He does as told, even turning around. I don't think he really wants to see this.

I slowly inch my way to the man, kneeling down. I maneuver his body around until he's in a less humiliating position, setting him down gently. Finally, I get a good look at his eyes.

They're a darkened blue. I always thought they looked rather black. His eyes are still showing that same guilt, asking for forgiveness. I'm not sure if I can forgive the man just yet. He's the one who started this mess.

But perhaps he was a better man long ago. Perhaps he actually cared about the ones he kept here. Maybe he did change for the better just those few seconds ago. Maybe he finally did see the light. Maybe his memories caught up to him.

_Memory is such an easy thing to manipulate, to form and shape. It sticks to you through life, no matter if you want it there or not._

The first lines of Link's little notes echo in my mind. Perhaps he did remember and back away. …You know, the fairy can heal. Perhaps she healed his mind, not his body. Perhaps she made something click in his head, and emotion just cascaded out from him. It's believable.

And what he said about him… watching us. What exactly did we do to awaken that part of him? …And of all people, why is he sorry to Luke?

Shaking my head and sighing, I bring my hand to the man's eyes, closing them as I slide down. It's the least I can do. After that, I stand and turn to Link, who's still the other way around. Going over to him, I gently remove his hands, placing mine on his eyes as I guide him through the room. I don't want the boy to see the blood. He shouldn't.

"…Papa, where are we going?"

I place a hand on his shoulder, careful not to move my fingers from his eyes too much. "Out. With everyone." I made a promise to Luke, and I aim to keep it.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone. Now c'mon. We should leave."

"…What about Lyle?" I knew he would ask. I knew it.

"…Leave him. Someone will find him soon enough."

We start to go out of the room, finding ourselves in the hallway. I close the door behind me, and remove my hand from his face.

And then I realize something else. "Erm… you should put your coat back on too." Don't want him walking around like _that._

A light blush escapes him. He knows what I mean, thank goodness. Link goes for the knotted thing, and finds it rather difficult it seems.

"Hold on. Let me help."

"Thanks." He holds out his arm, and I begin untying the knot.

"Sorry it's on so tight, I did that so you wouldn't lose so much blood." I think I scared him a bit, the way his eyes widen. Note to self: blood is a touchy topic with practically everyone.

"O-oh… it's fine."

"Now this might hurt a bit. Your wound… it might have stuck to the cloth-" I try to say, but I'm cut off.

"It's all better. The fairy healed me up too." What a relief.

"Ah. Just in case though, I'm going to be careful with it."

"Okay. …But there's some blood on it…" He says with some disgust. I know that he doesn't want to walk around with his own blood stained on his arm, but really kid?

"Do you want to walk around half-naked?"

"No, not at all!" His face goes from pink to a deep crimson.

"Thought so. Now give me a second…" I start off, unwrapping what I had so carefully put on before. I have barely any skill in wound care, so I'm surprised that I was able to wrap him up so quickly. Most likely the stress we were under, but still.

"There, it's off," I say, stepping away to examine my handiwork.

Link starts to move his arm around, poking at where the injury would've been. All that remains is a tiny, barely noticeable scar. If he has one, I bet I have one too.

"Alright, put it back on and we'll be on our way."

He does as told, buttoning it all the way up, but rather slowly. I think something's wrong here. He gives me a worried glance, one that begs to stay put.

"Can I just… sit down for a minute?" He's been through a lot today. I don't see why not.

"Go ahead." Then I remember my promise to the pair outside. "But not for too long. I told Rae and Starn that we'd be out of here in two hours."

The boy frowns at me, but takes a seat on the cold wooden floor. I'll let him rest. I bet he's hungry by this time too, we skipped breakfast this morning. And I have no idea what time it could be either.

After a few moments, I hesitantly take a seat next to him, letting him lean on me. The boy lets out a sigh, looking at himself intently. His eyes go from his hands to his feet, stopping near the bottom of his torso. He looks disgusted now.

"Something wrong?" I ask, looking to him. He head jolts up for a second, but then he returns to his examination.

"…No." Don't believe him.

"You're giving yourself a look over and frowning over it. There has to be something."

"It's just…" And he stops cold.

"Just what? You can tell me, I'm here," I reply warmly, giving his shoulder a rub.

"That's just it. …I don't know. I feel, well…"

"Well what?"

"…Funny. But not in the good way…" He crosses his legs together, furthering my idea of just what he's talking about.

"…I know. And before you say it, it wasn't your fault." It was mine.

"Huh?"

"What he did to you. It wasn't your fault." Without thinking, I place an arm around him, pulling the boy in. "It never will be your fault. And you don't have to feel funny, as you put it either."

"But I do." He curls and uncurls his toes.

"Well, don't. It's not good for you to be thinking that way."

"…I still feel really weird inside too." Inside?

"And what do we mean by that?"

"…I don't know. I just… I don't know. I just feel really weird."

"It's either a little thing called hormones or just the fact… well, you know what he did."

"I just feel really funny." Not fond of the touchy subject here. At this point, I bring him into my lap, trying to not bundle him up in the coat in the process. I know we don't have much time, but I need to calm him down.

"And that's perfectly okay."

"…I guess."

I don't say anything to that. Instead, I decide to give the kid a break, letting him just sit and think. Let him calm down.

I listen to his uneven breathing, something that I've grown accustomed to. He does this when he's afraid or saddened. It's like he's sighing, but it's quicker. I can't really explain it. Without thinking, I pull him in a little tighter.

As his breathing slows, I can tell he's dozing off. I would love to let him do that, but we can't. We have plans.

"Link, you need to stay awake okay?" I pause, looking around the hall for any kind of clock. Surprisingly, there's an old circular one mounted on the wall a little ways away from us. "…We should probably get going right about now anyway."

"Sorry…"

"What's there to be sorry about? We'll sleep on the train. For now, we need to go help."

"…Can we go help Luke first?" I forgot! Luke, he's out in the second hall, bleeding! How could I be so careless?

"R-right." I carefully pluck the boy from me, setting him down as I stand. "Down the hall and the stairs we go then."

"Uh-huh. "

And we begin our walk down the hall, staying in silence. We've been doing that a lot lately. Once we reach the stairs, we're silent too. This stays.

* * *

Minutes later, we arrive on the second floor. Lyle wasn't lying for once, he's there. But not bleeding badly. He's bleeding, but it's not that bad.

If a few cuts are nothing to worry about.

Link, being the child he is, runs for Luke as soon as he sees him. They really do like each other, it seems.

The teen lets loose a tender smile, but we both know he's in pain.

"Luke! I thought you were hurt more than this!" Link exclaims, plopping down in front of the teen.

"Long time no see. I am hurt though, don't get me wrong." I've got a few words of my own to say to him.

"Now hold on. Luke," I begin, causing Link to furrow his brow as he stares at me.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you tell him about me?" I place a hand on my hip, signaling I'm a little angered by his actions.

At this, Luke shrinks back a bit. I still believe the boy to be a traitor. Link meanwhile, gives me a look of disbelief.

"I had to. Practically forced me," He replies, staring at the floor. An action Link performs much more than him.

"How so?"

"How do you think. He knew something was up. I tried not telling, but he caught me in the hall. I was so scared I… I tried. The man just kept badgering me until I fessed up, and then he did the usual and punished me."

Alright, so not a traitor. Forgiven.

"Punished?"

"Do you not see my face? My arms?"

"I get it, I get it. Are you leaving with us or not?"

Luke's soft blue eyes go wide with wonder.

"L-leaving? What do you mean by that?-!" He exclaims, almost shooting up from his spot.

"Luke. Lyle's dead. He killed himself. You can leave. You all can leave. It's all over now."

There's a very long pause before he speaks again. His eyes flash with sudden shock. "You're joking. He's still alive, right? Right?" …I don't know if he's just in denial or…

"Not joking." I reach out a hand to pull him up, and he grabs on. After I pull on him though, he just practically stands there, squeezing my hand.

"You are so joking! He isn't dead!" For some reason, his eyes well up. Did he actually still care for the man at all?

"Yes Luke, he is. I wouldn't lie to you."

"And how do I know that?"

"Did you not hear the gunshots?" The screaming?

"…I did. B-but I thought it was…"

"It was, to an extent. We were shot at." Do I tell him about the fairy? No. "We were hurt, but we're fine now. After a bit, Lyle got a little stranger and finally succumbed to the thing he's been ignoring. Guilt."

"…So he really did himself in." And then tears fall. Why? The most he does is sniff a little, not needing any type of comfort. Link resorts to hugging onto him tightly. I have no idea what's going on with the older boy. Why is he crying? Did he have some kind of connection or something?

"Are you okay there Luke? Is something wrong?" I ask, feeling a little off about the situation.

"I'm fine. …I- I just… you know. Er… I can't explain this…" Um, what?

"...Alright, we need to hurry on out of here. But first, we need to find the rest of you." At this, Link gives me an annoyed look, letting go of Luke and returning to my side. What's gotten into them?

"Ah! Well… they're mostly downstairs. A few are in their rooms." Well that doesn't help too much. "I could order everyone to the front downstairs… but…"

"But what?"

He rubs his foot in the floor awkwardly, looking down. "Customers." …On a Sunday. Why?

"Do you know how many?" From my perspective, when we first met, he was very clean, unlike Link. Maybe Luke has some high authority, being the eldest supposedly.

"Three or four," He answers after a few moments.

"Good. And I hope you don't mind, but I've got a question."

"Yeah?"

"You are the eldest, I'm assuming. Do you have a special authority here?"

Luke tilts his head, eyebrow raised. "Uh, yeah. I do. I help with things, organize, the works." He has a downcast look now. Did I tug on a tight chain?

"Alright, sorry to ask."

"Nah. It's fine by me. Should we get started?"

"Already have. This means we have thirty-three people to find, excluding you two," I comment as we begin to walk down the hallway.

"That's correct. …We have to be very careful with some of them though." I don't think that'll need explaining. Thinking back to some of Link's "issues", perhaps the others share a similar air.

"Understood. And if we meet some of these customers?"

"I know you probably want to yell and go all out on them, I do. But don't. These guys are strong. Really strong."

"How strong?"

Luke lets out a quick chuckle. "Not to be rude, but you're pretty damn skinny. Some of these guys, some, would snap you like a twig." …That's a little… disconcerting.

"You're pretty skinny yourself."

"Yeah, but they wouldn't harm what they came for." I'd like to differ.

"I see. So, we should be heading downstairs first, correct?"

"Yeah. Then we'll come back up and grab everyone here if there are any." He pauses for a moment, looking towards the younger one. "You haven't been talking much Link. Anything up?"

He just shakes his head no.

"Alright, just checking. Surprising really, you're such a talker most of the time." Really?

"Sorry I haven't been saying anything then."

"No need to apologize bud, just making sure." Well, new nickname there. Half expected "squirt" actually. But that's just me.

"Oh." He doesn't say anything more than that.

"But seriously. Something's up. …And what's with the coat anyway?" Great. Just great. He had to ask.

"Well… um… I'm not wearing any pants-" Link begins, and is quickly cut off before he can say any more.

Luke's rosy cheeks fade. "Alright, no need to explain anymore. …No wonder you haven't been talking."

"Sorry…"

"Like I said. No need. …Methinks we need to cheer you up." He crouches down, looking behind himself at us. "You can get on my back. Don't need you tripping on the coat there." He wasn't lying when he said they were like brothers. They've had some time to get quite close.

Link nods, hurriedly going for the older one. He scrambles onto him, Luke grabbing what he could of his legs before hoisting him up. Luke is a little… scrawny for this I think. Link isn't heavy at all. But even then, his knees shake the smallest bit. I'm sure they won't give out on us though.

"Are we on? We okay now?" Luke asks, already walking on. Let's see how he tackles the stairs.

"Yeah. …Thanks." Link wraps his arms around the other's shoulders and neck to stay on.

"Anytime. …I know you all too well."

"Huh?"

"Every time you feel exhausted, worn down, lousy about yourself, you always want to sleep. I can tell that's what you're about to do. Sleep." Lousy about himself? …Well, the notes did prove that one.

"…I'm just tired is all," Link comments.

"I know. Go ahead and sleep. I don't mind at all," Luke replies sweetly. Perhaps some sleep will do him good. Everything he's been through, I'm surprised he hasn't just nodded off yet.

"Really?"

"Yes. Besides, once you wake up, you'll be out of here. Doesn't that sound good?"

Link drops his head into Luke's shoulder, trying to get as comfortable as he can.

"Yeah." And with that, he's quiet. I believe he's fallen asleep.

Together we keep our pace to the basement, the only sounds Link's deep breaths, and our empty footsteps against the floorboards.

Finally, we reach the reddened room again, the door that leads to the basement itself wide open. I see the stairs I went down the day the boy and I first met. The memories I get aren't very pleasing.

With a sharp swallow, we descend into darkness.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I check our surroundings. The lights glow around, but not enough to light the dim place well. Shivers run up and down my spine as we advance. Luke immediately goes on in front of me. I find that I'm standing in place, my feet have stopped moving moments before.

"Don't be stiff. This'll be the hardest part," The teen urges me, moving his eyes in a way that tells me to get going.

Sighing, I start to move again. Already I see eyes everywhere before me. These are big eyes on tiny faces.

Luke stops, waiting for me to catch up. As I do, he shifts Link around. I'm glad he's asleep. When he wakes up, he won't have to see this place anymore.

"Here, you take him. I'll go gather the kids," He orders, giving me the boy. One arm is under his knees, the other his back. I hold him there, legs dangling aimlessly from my arm, his own arms crossed together on his chest loosely. "Stay put. They're already scared I think." With that, he walks on.

A few of those with the big eyes are already surrounding the teen, holding onto his hands.

It's very quiet in here. I'm able to pick up on some conversation.

"Who's that man? He looks familiar, Luke," A girl says, grasping the older one's hand.

"Why is he holding Link? Is he taking him back?" Another says, looking towards me.

"Yeah, did Link make him mad?" Once or twice actually, to be honest.

"Where are we going, anyway?" A boy asks.

"Are you taking us to him?"

Finally, the teen speaks. "For now. I need all of you to listen to me. You're getting out of here with him and I."

"What about your dad?" Wait… who? What?

"He's gone now. …He's somewhere else. He won't ever come back to harm anyone." ...Good Gods, he isn't talking about who I think he is, is he? Luke meanwhile… all I can see is a deep frown. I'm sure he's trying not to cry again.

"So Lyle won't come down here?" Yup. Just who he was talking about. …But why would a man harm his own son?

"No. No he won't. Alright, we've wasted enough time, let's go," Luke urges, taking as many as he could by the hand, the rest of them right behind the teen. He gives off the "big brother" vibe to me. It really helps in their situation.

As the group gets closer, Link wriggles in his sleep, most likely having a bad dream. Again. I really hope it doesn't force him to wake up just yet.

"Mister…" The little girl starts as the group gets close to us, "Is Link okay? Why is he in that giant coat? Did he get hurt again?" …Again?

"He's in my coat because he well… he's hurt…" I stammer, not sure if I should release everything. She is young, I'm guessing nine or ten here. But with everything that's been going on here, I think she knows more than I do at this point.

"Because of Lyle, right? I'm not dumb… I know things. So…" And already her words have given me the creeps.

"Yes, he hurt him greatly. After what he did before I found him, Link was… well, shot in the arm. B-but it just grazed it." I wasn't that lucky.

"In the arm… grazed… can we see mister?" She asks, staring straight at the boy now, his chest rising and falling slowly as he breathes. I have to say, he looks very much at peace. Unlike the rest of us here.

"…No. I don't want to wake him. That and the wound hurts him greatly," I lie to her, "If I took it off, he'd wake up and start a storm pretty much. That and he's… erm… without pants."

"Oh." And that's all she says before returning to her group, Luke eyeing me for a second. Did I do something wrong?

With that, we walk on forward, trying to reach the steps. The kids in back are just helplessly clinging onto the other. It's rather cute and sad at the same time. …I'm at a loss.

Reaching the spiral stairwell, I'm allowed to go on up first, figuring it's because of the one I'm holding. No one says a word as we ascend the stairwell, and it scares me. Not even a simple "who are you". That's the first thing I should be getting asked.

And then the little form in my arms starts to stir. He mumbles something, squirming. He's probably going to wake up now, I can tell. But we're almost up the stairs, so he won't have to look at the basement. He won't at all.

I'm right. Two big bright eyes flutter open as we go, looking around the world. Almost like a baby. He sure did sleep like one at least.

His lips part as if to say something, but he closes them slowly. As if he's realized where he is, his brow furrows in confusion.

"Link… you're up early…" I say to him, trying to give out a warm smile. Taken a little wrongly I suppose, the boy merely frowns back. "Do you want me to put you down?" That's probably why he's eyeing me like that.

He lets out a soft groan, moving his head side to side, symbolizing a no. Huh.

"I know you're confused. Give us some time, and we'll have you out of here in a few seconds," I promise him, still trying to smile.

He doesn't say anything back, instead opting to grab a little bit of my shirt in his fingers, fondling it. Link releases a tiny smile, eyes fluttering a tad, as if he's trying to fight sleepiness. Knowing him, he won't win.

We finally reach the top of the stairs once more. The silence really does frighten me. I look behind myself just to make sure everyone is there, and sure enough, there's Luke with the children. Of course, his face is blank. For the most part at least.

"Papa…" Link begins suddenly, startling me. "I think… I think I know why I felt… funny…" Oh please not this.

"Erm… another time?" It's already awkward enough with Luke giving me a funny look.

"It's not… what you think… honest…" I certainly hope not. "I felt funny because… because… well… it's just that everything is pretty much over with, you know? …Lyle's gone, we're leaving… it's weird. No more worries… that's why I feel funny. It's like… something left me or something."

"I don't know what to say to that." …So I took it all wrong? Everything before that he was saying, I took it wrong? Well now _I_ feel funny. I really should've not jumped to conclusions…

"I knew you wouldn't understand." He closes his eyes with a sigh.

"I do, I do. I just thought…"

Link merely frowns at me, eyes closed still. He doesn't make an effort to even look at me. "I know. But I only meant…" he cuts himself off, figuring I really don't understand.

"I got it. …We'll just have you take a warm bath when we get home…" I really want off the subject right now. Seriously.

"Whatever. …Shouldn't we get going?" Right, right. With that and a little nudge from Luke, we start walking again. Before we reach the door that leads to the hallways and even more stairs, I turn around with a start.

"Wait. I think it'll be best if I give Link to the others outside. I don't want them worrying much longer," I propose, getting mixed looks of confusion from the crowd. "It'll only be a second…"

"Others? …You didn't come alone mister?" A tiny voice speaks up. It happens to be the girl from before actually.

"No, I came with my sister and my friend. They're waiting outside for Link and I. And now you all, I guess," I respond slowly to let my words sink in.

"You have a sissy?" She asks, a look of interest on her face, "What is she like? How old is she? What does she do? Huh?" Oh my.

"Well for starters… she's much younger than me. Ten years to be exact. She's got my eyes, hair, the works. Her job… well she helps people with their personal problems and such. She lives near here too," I respond carefully, trying to choose words that she could understand.

"Ooooh… how old are you mister?" You know, I don't think Link even knows how old I am. Weird.

"Thirty-two. I turn thirty-three in a few months to be exact," I say back, making the girl put on a look of thought. Meanwhile, Link's eyes snap open. Hm.

She comes back with, "Oh, so that means she's twenty-two!" Good math, kiddo.

"Yup. I told you, she's young. But very good at what she does, let me tell you." At that, Link opens his mouth to speak.

"…You don't look so old…" Link breathes out.

"I don't? Hm. Well, I am. …Anyway, we need to get back on track. Luke, is it alright I take Link and the others outside while we search around?" I try to propose again, getting a quick nod from the other.

"Alright Sadie, let's leave the poor guy alone okay?" He asks nicely, looking down at her.

"Okay." That's funny. Her name… heh heh. Does she know a boy named Abel? I smile a little at the thought, quickly dismissing it soon after.

"Good. Okay Mr. trader guy, you go on ahead. I'll be waiting on the stairs here," Luke agrees, giving me a nod as he heads for the stairwell up, sitting down.

It's almost over, I can feel it. We're so close, just a few more children to find and we can get out of this place. …Honestly, I do wonder what's to come of it. Will it be torn down? Used as something else after a rebuild? Or… will it just remain the same, to become as old and decrepit as the other buildings around here in due time? I'll probably never know, since I'm never coming back to this area again.

"So… mister, how is your friend? What's he like?" Says the little girl once more. She's full of questions, I can tell. It's funny though, once Luke left the room, she immediately started up again once more.

"Starn? Well, he's a very nice man. He's around my age, we sort of grew up together," I respond, letting my eyes wander about, "Let's see… oh, he has a little girl named Millie. I haven't seen her in a while, to tell you the truth. But she's a very well-mannered young lady. She's just like her late mother."

"Late?" Sadie asks, my wording confusing her probably.

"Her mother passed away a few years ago. That's what I meant by late," I reply.

"Oh. That's sad… shouldn't we get out of here like Luke told us to do?" That was a quick change of subjects…

"Yes yes. …Alright, everyone. Get into a group and follow me. Outside you'll see who I was talking about."

Doing as told, the small group bunches up together. With that, I swallow hard as we begin walking once more, the door getting closer and closer with each step. I wonder what they'll say.

With some hesitation, I move Link over to one arm, pushing the door open a little. Before he slips out of my grip, I place my arm right back under him, pushing the door all the way open with my foot.

Looking outside, I see two very surprised faces.

"Linebeck, you're alive!" Rae chokes out, tears running down her face as she runs up to give me a good hug, careful not to crush Link in the process as he gasps in surprise. Starn is just letting out a laugh at the sight.

I smile. Did they really convince themselves I somehow died? ...Well… that is half right.

"I told you, Rae. I'd be fine, and look at me. …Now, isn't there someone you wanted to see?" I direct my gaze to Link, who is just lying there at the moment.

Rae's face contorts in thought before her eyes get wide, mouth forming a big "O". She steps away from me, looking down at the one in my arms.

"Link… are you okay? What happened to you? …And why are you wearing my brother's coat?" She asks, fingering the material. "Linebeck, set him down if you would."

Here we go. I set the boy down on his feet with some protest. Link rearranges his coat, looking up at all of us. With a sigh, he starts to explain.

"What do you think happened? Lyle forced me into his room, tied me up… does that need explanation?" He licks his lips, trying to hide his discomfort.

"…No, it doesn't." She starts tearing up once more, kneeling down to his height. "There's blood on you. …Both of you."

"Lyle thought it'd be a good idea to shoot at us. I got hurt pretty bad. So did papa." I don't think he'll mention everything here. Later.

"…I don't see wounds on either of you," Rae wonders, Starn raising an eyebrow as he kneels down too.

"Aye, kid's got no injuries 'ta speak of… same goes for you…" Starn adds, giving us both a look-over.

"It's a long story. I'll explain later when we're all okay. …I have a few others that need to be looked over as well," I say, trying not to have to explain myself just yet.

Rae's eye twitches for a moment before looking behind me at the small group crowding the entrance. They're a little scared, squinting at the bright light.

"…Others?" She asks, standing up.

"Others. I decided to help out the rest of the kids that were in there." I let out a sigh, ready for either of them to start asking me endless questions. "I don't want to go into too much detail, but that man, Lyle. He's gone. Dead. He killed himself. With him gone, I and Link's apparent older friend gathered up the ones we could in the lower level. I need to go back inside now to help out with the rest-"

"Oh no you don't! I don't want to lose you!" Rae forces out, grabbing Starn forcefully by the arm, "We're coming with you!" I just knew it.

"Look. I just can't do that now, I don't want to scare anyone with so many people coming in at once. That and someone needs to stay and watch the others," I argue back, trying to voice reason. I understand how she feels. But that's something she needs to let go.

"…I just don't want to risk losing you again. There are other people in there you know," Rae tries to reason. She will not be getting her way this time around. I need to start acting like the older brother I am to her instead of the younger one I feel I am.

"I know that. But I don't want to lose you either, sister. Or Starn. And I'm not taking Link and the others back inside. I made a promise I aim to keep. So please, if you'd be so kind to let me leave?"

Her lip trembles for a moment before she speaks. "Brother, you have always been stubborn. That stubbornness will get you killed in the long run, let me tell you. But if it makes you happy, go ahead. We'll be babysitting while you run around and get yourself killed."

If only she knew.

"Thanks. And I won't get myself killed, there's no way I can," I begin, kneeling down to Link's height now, "Now Link. Be a good boy for these two. I'll be back in a little while. …And go ahead and introduce everyone? I'm sure we'd like to know each other's names, won't we?"

The familiar voice of Sadie pops up. "Yes, we would. I want to know. …My name is Sadie by the way. I was named after a girl in a book my aunty would read to me every night before she died." Ha! So she does know! Score one for me! ...Ahem. Excuse that.

"Ah. That makes sense Sadie. …Alright, I'm off. I'll be back soon and we'll be able to g- …leave." I was going to say "go home", but what home do these children have anymore? …With a quick wave of my hand, I spin around to face the door once more. I don't want to do in there, but I know I have to.

After I take a few steps however, I feel something clutching onto my arm. Looking down, I see the familiar mess of blond hair. With a sigh, I turn to face the young one. He can't go with me, and I know he wants to.

With the straightest face I can conjure up, I shake my head slowly, swallowing the words I wish to say. The boy acknowledges my request, letting his arm drop to his side.

_"…I love you… papa."_

_ "And I love you. I… I always will."_

…I wonder how long it will be until I really am gone.

* * *

And there we have it. Before I close this however, credit is due. Thank you so much deadaleta for helping with the plot of this chapter. I didn't mean for it to be this long, or split into two, but hey, it happens.

And also to zeldar for the constant reviewing that pulled me out of my procrastination on the weekends. I thank you both.


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